When Evil Hearts Run Wild
by FracturedFaerie
Summary: The sequel to Even Evil Hearts Can be Broken. Draco is keeping an important secret from Hermione. How will she react when she discovers what it is?
1. Summer's End

A/N: Alright, here it is. The long awaited sequel to Even Evil Hearts Can be Broken. Generally I don't believe in sequels but so many people were asking for one that I decided I should do it. I know it's been a long time since the first one, but life sort of got in the way. Anyway, you should read the first one if you haven't already so you know what's going on. Also, please understand that this story was started before Book 5 even came out so a lot of what goes on doesn't fit with things that happened in Book 5 and 6. If that bothers you, I'm sorry, don't read this. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter One

_Just then the bells started to ring, signifying that the people should gather in front of Draco's Palace to hear him speak. The palace guards were out front defining a pathway from Lord Voldemort's Palace to Draco's. Ron and Pansy took their places near the front. They watched as Draco and Hermione, both dressed in somber black dress robes, walked up the path to their palace._

_Hermione took a deep breath, wondering if she would be able to make it safely to the palace promenade. She felt lightheaded and slightly queasy and, for the first time in longer than she could remember, she had no idea what to do or say. As she walked along the crowd, she looked at the faces of the people she was passing by. Suddenly she began to feel very ill, recognizing this walk from her nightmares. The faces all swirled around her, terrified and angry. Hermione tore her eyes away from them and forced herself to look straight ahead. She felt Draco squeeze her hand encouragingly, and relaxed a little bit. They reached the stairs of the palace and slowly ascended. _

_Taking their places on the promenade, Hermione surveyed the people around her. Lucius Malfoy was standing nearby, beaming at his son proudly. Severus was next to Lucius, his eyes fixed on the ground. Several guards stood around her. Draco stepped forward to address the crowd._

Hermione Granger sat upright in her bed, a cold sweat covering her skin. She struggled to catch her breath and glanced at the clock. Three AM. Tossing the covers back she climbed out of her bed and went to stand at her bedroom window.

This dream had been plaguing her for the past two weeks. It was no use trying to go back to sleep, the dream would only come again. She pressed her forehead to the cool glass windowpane. Only one thing would help her now.

Tiptoeing down the stairs, Hermione pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She quietly shut the back door behind her and sat down on the stairs to lace up her tennis shoes. Creeping around the yard so as not to wake the neighbor's dogs, she set off at a slow jog once she reached the street.

Running had become a secret pastime of Hermione's. When she was struggling to sleep at night, she would sneak out the back door and head off around the neighborhood. Lately she had been running every night.

Turning left at the corner, Hermione headed down the dimly lit bike path. She knew her parents would be furious if they could see her running on this part of the road at night when it was poorly lit and consequently unsafe, but lately Hermione had been having trouble dealing with her parents. After all, they weren't her real parents.

Suddenly, it seemed out of nowhere, a bump in the asphalt caused her to trip and go skidding across the pavement. She landed hard on her hands as she had used them to brace herself when she began falling.

"Great," she said aloud, shifting so that she was sitting on her rear end. Both of her knees were skinned, and her left ankle was throbbing. Her knee socks would not cover these scrapes. Getting to her feet, Hermione realized that her ankle would not hold very much weight. She sighed and began to limp back towards her house.

Before she could get very far, an owl came flying towards her and perched on a nearby fencepost. Hermione did not recognize this owl, but she limped over to it anyway. It was a dark grey owl, with beady black eyes. When she got closer a familiar crest was visible on the ankle tag it wore. She took the letter from him and opened it.

"Hermione, meet me in Diagon Alley tomorrow at noon. We need to talk," the letter said. Hermione folded it up and tucked it into the waistband of her shorts. She limped towards her house while Draco's owl flew in impatient circles overhead.

There was something about August weather that Hermione just adored. The nights were crisp and cool but the days were beyond hot. It was like the season was at odds with itself and could not decide whether to be hot or cold.

But tonight Hermione didn't notice any of this. As she half-dragged her injured leg around the side yard of her house all she could wonder about was Draco and what on earth he wanted to talk about. There was a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach because she knew too well that the words 'we need to talk' are some of the most dreaded words in any relationship. She hoped at least that he wasn't going to break up with her.

"Mom!" Hermione yelled, switching on the light in the kitchen as she re-entered the house. "Mom, help!" she yelled again. Within moments her parents had descended to the kitchen to see what the problem was.

"Do you realize what could have happened to you out there?" her mother scolded as she pulled Hermione's sore ankle into her lap. "It's swollen," she commented and began squeezing it gently to check for broken bones.

"Ouch!" Hermione exclaimed, jerking the ankle away. Her mother pulled it back and slapped a bag of frozen vegetables over it.

"It's not broken, thank God," she pronounced. "What on Earth were you doing going for a run at this hour?" she demanded. Before she allowed Hermione a chance to speak, she went on, "There are all sorts of horrible people who come out at night, you might have been killed, or raped, or kidnapped, Hermione, and we wouldn't have known because we thought you were asleep safe in your bed!"

"Well, none of those things happened, did they?" Hermione snapped. Draco's owl gave a soft hoot of approval, also reminding her that she still needed to send Draco a response. "May I go to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" she asked.

"Why should I let you go to Diagon Alley? I think you should be grounded," her mother replied. Hermione felt her heart sinking.

"I'm sorry I snuck out, but please, Mom, you have to let me go," Hermione pleaded. "Draco wants to meet me there and I haven't seen him all summer, and-"

"Oh, well if you're going to see Draco," her mother's tone of voice completely shifted. Hermione sighed, thankful that her mother was so in favor of Hermione having a boyfriend. Mrs. Granger had only prodded Hermione for the past six years about trying to find one and now that she had one it was like a dream come true for her mother. She was practically planning the wedding already.

Hermione just smiled as her mother began talking about when she was in high school. The story never changed, in fact, Hermione could recite it herself. It always ended with Mrs. Granger suggesting not-so delicately that Draco might be "the one" for Hermione. Though she wanted to get married someday, Hermione wasn't so sure she wanted to do that at the end of this year like so many of the other seventh years were doing.

It was almost expected of girls who went to Hogwarts to be well on their way to getting married by the time they graduated. You were supposed to do well in school and find a husband and try to get a decent job after graduation – but not too decent, of course. Your husband was supposed to have a better job so you could stay home with the children once they were born.

This had been staring Hermione in the face since she first started Hogwarts. The first years had anxiously watched as the seventh year girls announced their engagements and spent the days before N.E.W.T.s surrounded by taffeta and cake while the boys studied hard and took apprenticeships.

It was just another area where the muggle-borns were set apart from the purebloods. The pureblooded wizards graciously accepted marriage offers and planned bridal teas. The muggle-born girls were usually more hesitant to agree. Unless of course, their mothers were wedding obsessed like Hermione's.

"So I'll just drop you off in London while I do my shopping," her mother concluded. Hermione nodded and limped up to her room with the bag of veggies in her hand and Draco's owl in tow.

Once she had written Draco a short response agreeing to meet him in front of Florean Fortescue's the next day at noon, Hermione crawled back into her bed and arranged the frozen vegetables on her ankle. Unfortunately she was wide awake and couldn't get comfortable enough to doze off. It was approaching five in the morning and the sky outside was beginning to lighten. Instead of sleeping, Hermione tried to focus on the upcoming school year.

Being Head Girl was something she had been working towards since the day she found out about Hogwarts. To finally have that title was the greatest feeling in the world. Or it should have been. Hermione had yet to decide what she was going to do after school. She could apply for Auror training, or try to find an apprenticeship somewhere but the list of things she wanted to do for the rest of her life was much shorter than the list of things she definitely didn't want to do.

It occurred to her around six thirty that she was actually nervous about seeing Draco for the first time all summer. They had been writing back and forth since they left school but there had never been a way to see each other. The Malfoy family had gone to Africa on safari for an entire month, and Hermione's family had been to the beach for two weeks. The rest of the time they had both been at home but for some reason or another there was never a way to get together. This was the first opportunity for them to see one another and school was only two weeks away.

Heaving an enormous sigh, Hermione flung the now melted bag of vegetables on her bedroom floor and rolled over onto her stomach. She hugged her pillow and took a deep breath. There was no use in agonizing over things she couldn't control. At least she was getting to see him at all.

It wasn't until almost eight that Hermione's eyelids began to get heavy. She fought to keep them open as she got out of bed and headed for the shower. The hot water cascaded down her shoulders, and she let out a yawn into the now steamy bathroom. Once her hair had been washed she took a deep breath and braced herself against the shower wall. With a free hand she twisted the shower knob all the way to the right.

An icy cold stream of water came shooting out of the spigot, causing Hermione's eyes to wince shut and her whole body to stiffen. She let out an involuntary shriek, and quickly spun around to turn the water off. At least she was awake now.

Stepping out of the shower and onto the plush bathmat, Hermione wrapped a thick fuzzy towel around herself. She rubbed a circle in the fog on the mirror and peered at her face. Luckily enough, her skin had not broken out overnight.

"Hermione!" her mother's voice was right outside the bathroom door. "How's your ankle?" she asked. Hermione opened the door and brushed past her mother.

"It's fine," she lied, trying to walk normally. "Just a little sore," she admitted. Her mother sighed.

"After breakfast you can take some medicine for it," she decided. "Now go get all dolled up for Draco, and I'll make you something to eat."

"Yes, mother," Hermione sighed, heading into her bedroom. She dropped her towel on the floor and headed straight for her closet. After picking out a pair of light-colored jeans and a white tshirt, she blow dried her hair and got dressed. Descending to the kitchen, she took a deep breath and prepared herself for the disgusted screech her mother let out upon seeing the outfit she had chosen.

"I will not take you to Diagon Alley in that," her mother protested. Hermione shrugged.

"I'll take the bus," she countered.

"For one, it's _August_ in _London_," Mrs. Granger said firmly, accentuating the words. "Second, you haven't seen Draco all summer, why don't you remind him what he's been waiting for?"

"I don't need to look like a whore to do that, Mom," Hermione disagreed, taking a bite of her toast.

"But, Hermione, please," her mother sighed. "You're not even wearing any makeup!"

"It's _August_, in _London_," Hermione repeated. "Besides, he's seen me naked, it's not like," Hermione shut her mouth, realizing what she had just said.

"He's what?" Her mother repeated calmly, as though she had not just heard what her daughter had said. "Hermione Jane Granger! March up those stairs and change those clothes, and when you come back down here you will be wearing a skirt and makeup, or you will not be returning to Hogwarts this fall, let alone going to Diagon Alley today!" her mother screeched. "And I don't care what you say; you _will_ be going on birth control."

Hermione didn't look at her mother before she went back up the stairs to her room. Instead she just sprinted up the stairs and quickly changed into a denim skirt and added some eye shadow and lip gloss. This was not a good start to the day.

* * *

Draco sat anxiously outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor waiting for Hermione to show up. Granted, he had shown up an hour early and so each minute that passed seemed like an eternity.

After having not seen Hermione all summer, this last hour was about to kill him. The waiting, and the weight of the news he had to tell her were becoming too much for him to bear. Truthfully, he wasn't sure how well Hermione would take his news.

"Can I get you something else?" a snide, pimple-faced boy asked him, clearing away the empty soda glass in front of him.

"Another soda, please," Draco replied, slapping some coins on the table. The boy smiled patronizingly at him and turned away. The requested soda appeared on Draco's table within moments, and only a little bit sloshed over the edge of the glass when the boy set it down. Draco pretended not to notice this and looked up and down the street once again, searching for any sight of Hermione.

"Looking for someone?" a soft voice said in his ear. He jumped about a foot in the air and turned to see a smiling Hermione standing behind him. Getting to his feet, he smiled and gave her an enormous hug.

"You look fantastic," he said, looking her over. She rolled her eyes and sat down at the table.

"Thanks," she replied, looking a bit sheepish. He sat back down and pushed the soda across the table to her.

"Would you like some?" he asked. She thought for a moment and then starting drinking it as fast as she could. Draco just sat there, watching her, completely in awe. When she finished drinking, she looked up at him, and realized he'd been watching the whole time.

"I'm sorry, I was really thirsty," she said, pushing the empty glass back to him. He shook his head.

"It's fine," he assured her, unable to tear his eyes away. He stretched out his hand across the table to take her hand. "It's been so long," he said, still staring at her.

"I know," Hermione agreed, cursing her mother for being right about the makeup. She was now thankful that she had put it on.

"You're so beautiful, Hermione," Draco breathed, reaching out to touch her cheek. "I didn't remember you like this," he admitted. Hermione blushed and looked away, a little bit uncomfortable. He gave her hand a squeeze and then looked down at her hand. "You're still wearing the ring," he remarked. Hermione looked at their hands.

"So are you," she observed. He nodded.

"I've thought about you every day," Draco said. Hermione smiled, and bit her lip, trying to keep from smiling too widely. As sweet as it sounded, she was anxious to hear what he had needed to talk to her about so badly, and this was not sounding like Draco at all.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, trying to change the subject. She watched him closely, and saw his expression change briefly. Then it was back to the same adoring gaze.

"That's not important anymore," he decided. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested, getting to his feet. Hermione followed, confused by Draco's behavior, but still glad to be with him again. She reminded herself that they had plenty of time until her mother came to pick her up for her to figure out what it was that Draco wanted.

* * *

"And so then she turned to her little sister and threw the shoe at her and repeated the exact words my father had just said to her!" Draco laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes and laughed at Draco's story about his newest House-elves, despite her dislike for the creatures. She and Draco were having dinner in the Leaky Cauldron and

"It sounds like your summer was a lot of fun," Hermione decided. Draco shrugged.

"My favorite part was today," he replied. Hermione smiled from ear to ear, like she had been doing all day. But then she frowned.

"Draco, will you please tell me why you asked me to come here?" Hermione begged. "You haven't acted like yourself all day," she reminded him.

"I know," Draco sighed. He shrunk visibly into his seat. "I know I've been acting strangely," he said. "It's just that I haven't seen you all summer, and you are even more fantastic than I remember," he informed her. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't take my eyes off you," he added.

"I noticed," Hermione agreed. "But it's so unlike you," she frowned. "You've always been romantic, but now it's like you're reading from some romance novel, I don't know," she shook her head. Draco sighed again and reached out to take her hand.

"To be perfectly honest with you, Hermione, I've been dreading this moment from the moment I knew it had to come. And seeing you today has made it so much worse. I was so tempted to just write to you and explain everything, but I knew I had to do it in person. I owe you that much," he began. Hermione could feel her heart pounding. This did not sound like good news at all. In fact it sounded like he was about to break up with her.

"Go on," she said, her voice barely audible in the crowded tavern. Draco looked her face over and took her cheek in his hand.

"Hermione, I love you with all of my heart," he started, leaning in as close to her as he possibly could. "You are the absolute greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I can't imagine anyone else I would rather spend the year with as Head students. I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you," he continued, pausing to take a deep breath. Now Hermione was even more confused. Draco's speech had just changed tone completely.

"Hermione, I want you to know that you can count on me, no matter what happens, to always be there for you. But the thing is, we can't be together," he said. Hermione stared straight ahead, barely hearing the words that came next. Somehow she had known that this was the direction things were heading. The ominous owl post, the strange behavior; it all made perfect sense, except for one thing.

"But why?" she asked, her voice quavering. She bit her tongue, willing herself not to cry. No she wouldn't dare cry in front of all these people.

"Just trust me, it's for your own good," Draco sighed. "I wish I could tell you more," he said sadly.

"I don't understand," she repeated. "Please, Draco, just explain it to me. I don't need you to protect me," she protested. Draco shook his head.

"I can't," he said apologetically. Hermione bit her lip and got to her feet slowly.

"I have to go," she said. Draco nodded.

"I'll walk you out," he offered. Hermione shook her head.

"Don't," she requested. He nodded.

"I'll see you on the train," he said. Hermione nodded her head in agreement and started to walk away.

She was almost at the door when Draco stopped her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around before she could even register what was going on. The next thing she knew his lips were covering hers in one of the most intense kisses she had ever received. Her knees buckled beneath her and she had to grab one of Draco's arms to steady herself. His hand found its way to its usual spot in the small of her back, and his tongue slid easily into her mouth.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, once the kiss had ended. She struggled to catch her breath and waited to hear what he had to say.

"I couldn't help myself," Draco apologized. "I couldn't let you walk away without being sure you knew I loved you."

"If you loved me, you wouldn't be doing this to me," she informed him. He opened his mouth and closed it again, unable to form words.

"We'll talk about this later," he said finally. "On the train to school. I have a lot to tell you."

"Fine," Hermione relented, shaking her head. "Goodnight, Draco," she said, pushing open the door.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he sighed, watching her walk away. He could feel his stomach churning as soon as the door was closed and she was gone. "Please don't let this be a mistake," he said softly to himself, taking the ring from his finger and putting it in his pocket with Hermione's. As he left the Leaky Cauldron for Diagon Alley, he hoped she wouldn't notice the ring was missing until she got home.


	2. Back to Hogwarts

Chapter Two

Draco took a deep breath and walked through the front door of his house. He shut the door as quietly as he could behind him, but it was to no avail. His father heard him anyway.

"In here, Draco!" Lucius called out from his study. Draco trudged reluctantly down the hall to his father's study. He knocked briefly on the door before letting himself in. "Have a seat," Lucius directed. Draco sat down in one of the high-backed armchairs positioned around Lucius' desk.

Lucius was busy looking over several rolls of parchment, and Draco waited patiently until his father was ready to talk to him. He had no desire to interrupt his father's work with bad news.

"How did it go?" Lucius asked, as though he had been waiting for Draco to speak up.

"Not as well as I'd hoped," Draco sighed. Lucius looked up from his work, and peered over his reading glasses at his son.

"What do you mean by that?" he demanded, sounding slightly amused.

"She broke up with me," Draco lied, staring at a spot on the carpet. "Before I could even ask her about it."

"Why on earth would she break up with you?" Lucius asked, putting the parchment down and devoting his full attention to his son.

"I don't understand either," Draco sighed again, refusing to meet his father's eyes. Lucius heaved an enormous dramatic sigh and sank into his chair.

"Draco, I fail to comprehend," he said, massaging his temples. Draco suddenly became very fascinated with the stitching in the arm of his chair, and leaned a little bit closer to avoid his father's gaze. "I simply cannot understand why my only son would refuse to do something as simple as what I asked of you."

"It's not as easy as all of that, Father," Draco responded, sounding harsher than he had intended to.

"You keep telling me this, but I can't follow your logic," Lucius stood up and began pacing the length of the room. "All summer you've been moody and depressed without this girl, and then when someone makes a simple suggestion you decide that it's just not that easy and refuse to make yourself happy by doing what was asked of you."

"I'm not sure how to explain it any better than I've already tried," Draco spoke through his teeth, struggling to keep his composure. He too got to his feet and began to walk in the opposite pattern of his father.

"Let's work this through again," Lucius decided. He took a deep breath and began walking towards Draco. "You and Hermione hated each other from the first day you were enrolled at Hogwarts. Somehow you wound up potions partners and decided to call a truce, which was a very shrewd business maneuver on your part. Eventually you became friends, and as fate would have it, you both fell in love. Over the course of some manipulative scheme by that batty old codger who runs your school, you and Hermione became very close. Have I got that right?"

"Yes, that's about how it went," Draco agreed, walking slowly towards his father. "We were announced as head boy and girl, and then the term ended," he continued.

"You returned to your respective homes for the summer, where you proceeded to mope around the house as though someone had told you quidditch could never be played again. Our Lord and I had many conversations about the matter, and eventually decided on a feasible course of action," Lucius came to a stop, about two feet away from Draco, who also stopped. "You and Hermione had been such an ideal match during Dumbledore's game of pretend, that the Most Venerable One was intrigued by what might come of an actual match between you two."

"Which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life," Draco finished. Both men turned on their heels and began to walk away from each other. "First of all, Hermione would never consent to a traditional Wizarding marriage. She will want to wait until long after graduation."

"Easily remedied," Lucius replied. Draco ignored him.

"Hermione would never agree to let me be the sole source of income. I know for a fact that she intends to have a job once she leaves Hogwarts," Draco pressed on.

"Again, easily remedied. Hermione has no idea how much money you have, and once she sees that both of you could live comfortably even with no income, I'm sure she'll agree that she doesn't need her own career," Lucius refuted. Draco shook his head.

"Never. Hermione would never agree to it," Draco stated. "Have you also forgotten that Harry Potter is one of her best friends? There is no way Hermione would ever become a Death Eater, I don't care what the circumstances. Our Lord is far above the petty mind control used in Dumbledore's fantasy world, and without it, Hermione will always want to fight against him," Draco informed his father. "And that seems like a pretty good reason to me."

"I'm sure we could work something out," Lucius sighed. "Hermione has been presented with a one-sided perspective of the Dark Lord. Maybe once she gets to know him," Lucius was interrupted almost immediately.

"Forget it," Draco spat. "She will never be accepted by society. It's too late for her to be introduced, and even if she were to come out no one would give her the time of day. She is still a muggle-born half blood and no one will ever forget that."

"From what I've heard, how much do you think she cares for social acceptance?" Lucius asked. Draco had to concede this point to his father, but he still shook his head.

"Hermione doesn't know the first thing about running a household. She doesn't have house-elves, and doesn't like them. I can't see her allowing them in her home, let alone giving them orders. And even if she were to permit them, she has none to bring with her. All of the house-elves trained to cook and clean and mend are supposed to come with the bride. We certainly don't have any to spare," Draco could feel a bead of sweat on his forehead as he presented his last point. His father was silent for some time after this, and Draco thought that perhaps he had finally gotten across to him.

"Your mother and I could buy some for you," Lucius decided finally. Draco felt his stomach turn over and remembered a time when he had been very young and his father had taken him to buy some new house-elves.

They had gone into Knockturn Alley, which gave young Draco such bad nightmares his father had been forbidden to take him there anymore, but they didn't stay. Instead they turned into a darker, more filthy-looking alleyway with no name. Down at the very end, a small crowd of people had gathered, and Lucius had lifted Draco to his shoulders.

From his vantage point, Draco could see seven naked house-elves, all chained to a platform. A grungy looking hag stood in front of the platform, haggling with a man in a dark hood whose face Draco could not see.

"Pick out two," Lucius said to Draco as they moved closer. Draco furrowed his brow and stared at all of the elves. There was a small one on the end with a hacking cough. Next to him stood a boy and a girl, holding hands. On the other side was a woman with a very round belly and heavy breasts that hung to either side. Standing next to her was a young, energetic boy who kept bouncing on his toes. The man in the hood kept turning around and smacking his feet.

The hag finally struck a deal with the hooded man, and Draco watched with wide eyes as the girl and boy were wrenched apart. The boy followed the hag out of the market and the girl collapsed to the platform sobbing. The hooded man turned and began to hit the girl repeatedly until she got back to her feet, still sniffling. Draco buried his face in his father's head.

"Have you decided?" Lucius asked, shifting Draco to his hip. Draco nodded meekly and pointed to the two in the middle. "You have expensive taste," Lucius sighed as he placed Draco back on the soft, muddy ground., heading for the man in the hood.

As they drew closer to the platform, Draco became aware of a horrible stench. Looking down at the platform he could see piles of feces. The elves were standing in the piles as though they were unaware they existed. Even at such a tender age Draco was painfully aware that this entire scenario was wrong.

"Dobby! Elvira!" the hooded man called out to the elves and beckoned them forward. Lucius stepped up to examine them and after looking at their teeth and feeling their bones he passed a small sack of gold to the man. The hooded man turned to the elves and motioned for them to follow Lucius.

Draco hurried to stand at his father's side. The new house elves were the pregnant female and the young bouncy boy. Clutching Lucius' hand, Draco snuck an occasional curious glance at the two elves.

"Your mother will be pleased with your decision," Lucius spoke, commanding Draco's attention. Though Draco felt a small surge of pride at the words, he couldn't forget the horrible stench that had permeated the market.

"Well?" Lucius' voice brought Draco back to the situation at hand. He shook his head firmly.

"Hermione will never allow it," he repeated. "There's just no way to change her mind on the subject."

"Nothing is final until after you're dead," Lucius replied, taking a seat at his desk. "You've wasted enough of my time today," he sighed, gesturing for Draco to leave.

Draco bit his tongue and shut the door carefully behind him. He retreated to his room and locked the door before sinking into the deep velvety cushions on the sofa.

* * *

"Hermione Jane Granger you will get out of that bed this instant!" Hermione's mother shrieked, standing over her sleeping daughter. Hermione sighed and rolled onto her back. "Get up. Right now, we have so much to do today," she reminded her daughter, yanking the covers back.

"Mother, please!" Hermione grabbed at the sheet before her mother could get it completely free from her grasp. "I'm getting up."

"You've been saying that for two hours now. Move your butt," her mother proclaimed, stepping back only enough give Hermione room to step out of her bed. Hermione sighed and turned to look at the clock. It was noon, and she had no excuses anymore. She hadn't managed to think of a good way to explain to her mother that Draco had only wanted to see her so he could break up with her. The ensuing lecture was more than Hermione could handle at the moment, so she decided it was best to pretend it wasn't happening. She just prayed her mother wouldn't notice that the ring was missing from her finger.

She knew Draco had taken it; there was no doubt in her mind. He was slick, she hadn't noticed at all for a few hours. When she finally did realize it was gone, she knew right away it was his doing. It only left her more confused.

When she made her way down to the kitchen, her mother promptly pushed a thick gold envelope into her hands. Hermione's brow furrowed and she looked up at her mother questioningly.

"That came for you this morning. It was the prettiest, cleanest owl I've ever seen," her mother explained. Hermione turned the envelope over in her hands and studied the return address. There was no name, so she turned it over again and delicately pried the flap free.

A small fountain of gold glitter burst from the envelope as soon as Hermione had it open all the way. She pulled a cream colored card with gold writing out of the envelope and was doused in more sparkles.

"What is it?" Her mother demanded excitedly. Hermione opened the card to read the engraved message. Her jaw dropped open and her mother grabbed it from her hands before she had a chance to protest. "A wedding announcement! How exciting!" her mother pulled Hermione into a huge hug.

"School hasn't even started yet!" Hermione protested. "Parvati can't be getting married! We're so young!"

"Why can't you just be happy for your friend?" Her mother asked. "It looks like they have their parents' blessing, I'm sure he's a nice boy."

"I've never even heard of him!" Hermione wailed. "This is ridiculous," she sighed, incredulous.

"Well, hurry up and eat something so we can go. Now we have to work on finding bridal shower gifts!" her mother instructed. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed some pop tarts. She really needed to talk to Ginny, but there wasn't time before her mother threw another fit. Today she was being put on birth control that she didn't need, and being taken to buy new clothes for school that she wouldn't wear.

It was almost more than Hermione could bear. She knew her mother would talk about nothing but Parvati's wedding for the majority of the excursion and when Hermione didn't respond in the way her mother thought she ought to, her mother would get annoyed and there would be a fight. It was basically unavoidable.

Hermione climbed the stairs back to her room and dressed quickly. She selected a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Flip flops and a ponytail completed the outfit. Hermione reluctantly descended to the kitchen where her mother was waiting.

* * *

Draco leaned forward and urged the dark horse under him into a run. He could feel the animal's muscles straining and see the sweat forming on the horse's skin. The stallion wasn't Draco's favorite, but he was the fastest of the Malfoy's many horses and that was why Draco had chosen to ride him that day.

Miles and miles of foggy moorland passed under the horse's hooves until the beast came to the edge of a steep cliff. Rearing back, the animal tried to turn away from the certain death that would come from falling off the edge. Draco expertly clung to the horse's back and barely avoided being thrown off. The horse landed safely and Malfoy descended. He gave the horse a sharp pat on the flank and walked over to stand on the very edge of the cliff.

It was mid afternoon, but the sun had neglected to come out from behind the clouds that day. It was the perfect setting to match Draco's mood. He sat down and let his feet hang off over the rocky crags and crashing waves below. Reaching into his pocket, Draco pulled out two small objects.

They were rings, made of silver, slightly tarnished, but still beautiful. It was clear that the two were meant to go together because they were nearly identical. Intricately woven silver held diamond and emerald chips in place all along the band of the ring. On the smaller ring, a large diamond was flanked by two smaller emeralds cut in the trademarked Malfoy stone shape. There was no doubt that they had only one purpose – wedding rings. Inside, the rings had matching inscriptions.

Draco turned the rings over and over in his palm, his heart throbbing the entire time. His stomach felt like it was on fire. Taking a deep breath, Draco closed his fingers around the rings and then closed his eyes. When he opened them again he raised his arm back as far as it would go and quickly hurled the two rings over the edge of the cliff.

Instantly he regretted it and tried to grab them. It was no use. The rings fell down, spiraling slightly as they went. Finally they vanished from sight, lost forever in the unforgiving sea. Malfoy felt as though his chest were exploding. He got to his feet, feeling nauseous. Behind him, the horse stamped impatiently. Draco glared at it for a moment and turned his attention back to the rocks below him. Never in his life had he experienced such intense pain. All he could think about was Hermione and how he would never again get to hold her in his arms or kiss her soft lips. It was too much.

Taking a few steps backward, Draco looked up at the sky. Thick grey clouds hovered overhead. He sighed heavily and rushed forward, letting his body go limp as his feet left the edge of the cliff.

* * *

"Ouch!" Hermione shrieked. She was standing in the 3 way mirror outside the dressing room trying on dresses and her mother had just reached out and pinched her.

"If you would just eat a few less chocolate bars," her mother frowned. Hermione glared at her mother in the mirror. "I'm sorry, but you don't honestly believe that Draco loves you for your mind, do you?"

Hermione bit her tongue. The steely taste of blood filled her mouth. Her mother had crossed the line and Hermione knew she had to keep her mouth shut or risk having a shouting match in the middle of the department store. She returned to her dressing room without a word and locked her mother out.

Sinking to the floor, Hermione ignored the crinkle of the tulle and allowed tears to spill over her cheeks. Having spent six years sharing a room she learned very quickly how to cry without making any noise. She hugged her knees to her chest and let her head drop forward.

A sudden burning around her left ring finger caused her to lift her head. An orangey glow encircled that finger and then in a final stinging shock the orange disappeared and the ring Draco had stolen from her the day before reappeared on her hand. It was too tight at first but resized itself so that it fit just right.

Cautiously, Hermione touched it and was surprised to feel that it was very hot. For a few moments, she just stared at it. When it was cool enough to touch again, she slid it up a little bit and saw that it had left a huge black mark around her finger. Hermione slid the ring further up her finger to remove it, but the ring wouldn't come off. Rather, it wouldn't let itself be taken off. Each time Hermione moved it to the tip of her finger, it shot back to the bottom.

Her heart racing, Hermione started to cry again. She recognized a dark spell when she saw one. The only question was who could be responsible for it? Certainly not the Draco who had broken up with her the day before.

"_Just trust me, it's for your own good" _Draco had said. Hermione took a big gulp of air. Why hadn't he tried to explain even a little bit to her? Maybe then she would know who was trying to get to her. Maybe then she could defend her self. Maybe…

"Hermione, let me in." her mother's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. Hermione shook her head and didn't respond. Now was not the time to let her mother into the room, not as long as there was something sinister going on.

"Yes, Hermione, let your mother in," a voice hissed quietly. Hermione looked around to see where the voice was coming from. Was there someone else in the room with her? "You'll never be a good wife if you don't respect your parents," the voice hissed.

Hermione stared at the mirror. Slowly her reflection dissolved and a new face appeared. It was the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort. Hermione felt the blood in her veins turn to ice instantly. Every hair on her arms and neck stood upright.

"You won't be rid of Draco Malfoy so easily, Miss Granger," Voldemort hissed. "Don't think his pathetic suicide attempt is enough to keep me from changing my mind."

"Suicide," Hermione repeated, the word sounding completely foreign in her mouth. Her tongue felt thick and dry.

"Oh, you didn't know?" the Dark Lord chuckled. His face disappeared and Hermione saw Draco standing at the edge of a cliff. Suddenly he ran off the edge. Voldemort's face reappeared. "You look so frightened, my sweet. Why bother? I just told you he survived."

"You saved him," Hermione whispered. Voldemort laughed again.

"No need to thank me," he said. Hermione's mother was knocking at the door. "Oh, let's bring mummy in here, shan't we?"

"No!" Hermione shouted. Voldemort laughed even harder.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," Her mother called. "I was out of line."

"She sounds so apologetic," the Dark Lord's mouth formed a pout. Hermione' stomach turned. "I'll go. Let her in. She'll buy you ice cream. But you and I will talk later." His face disappeared and for a second Hermione stared at her own reflection in the mirror. Then the door to the room burst open and Hermione could see her mother's worried reflection join hers.

"I thought you weren't supposed to do magic over break?" her mother whispered. Hermione shrugged and got to her feet. Her mother took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I really was out of line."

"It's alright," Hermione said dryly. Her tongue was still heavy.

"What do you say we forget the rest of our errands and get some ice cream?" her mother suggested, looking hopeful. Hermione nodded, unzipping the dress. Her mother stepped back outside and waited for Hermione to get changed.

* * *

"Oh my god," Parvati Patil said as Hermione walked into the foyer of the Patils' enormous mansion. Parvati was wearing bright red and gold dress robes. Her hair was piled high on her head and gold thread was woven into the updo.

"Hello, Parvati," Hermione responded. Parvati gave her an enormous hug.

"I'm so glad you came, I was afraid you wouldn't," Parvati said.

"Why wouldn't I come?" Hermione asked, a little surprised at Parvati's admission. Parvati shrugged.

"I just thought you might not approve of my marriage," she said. "I know it's not what you would do or want."

"But if it's what you want," Hermione began. Parvati smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you're here," she said again. "Everyone else is in the backyard," she informed Hermione, leading the way.

"So is your fiancé here?" Hermione asked cautiously. "I haven't met him," she said, admiring the decorations on the walls.

"Hermione!" Parvati exclaimed, freezing in her tracks. "You have no idea, do you?"

"No idea of what?" Hermione asked, wondering what she was left out of. Parvati sighed.

"I've never met him either," she said. Hermione felt her stomach grow cold. "I have an arranged marriage."

"Oh," was all Hermione could think to say. So that was why Parvati had been so surprised to see her.

"Yeah," Parvati smiled shyly. "I hear he's a really nice guy though."

"Well, that's good," Hermione tried to recover. Parvati started walking toward the backyard again.

"It's actually sort of common in the Wizarding world," Parvati tried to explain. "Among, certain families, anyway," she said carefully. Hermione understood perfectly what Parvati meant. It was the pureblood, high society Wizarding families that still practiced arranged marriages. Hermione would never have encountered the practice being friends with the Weasley family. This didn't bother Hermione though, who felt the Weasleys really had it right.

Hermione followed Parvati out to the backyard where a lot of the girls from Hogwarts were gathered under a billowing pink and gold tent. They were all seated on pink and gold cushions around a low table. Hermione took a seat next to Ginny and watched as the teacup in front of her filled itself with steaming hot Jasmine tea.

"Hey," Ginny said, giving Hermione a hug. "How have you been?"

"I have so much to tell you," Hermione said, hugging Ginny back.

"This is so exciting, isn't it?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "And this is just the beginning. Wait until spring, we'll be doing this every weekend," Ginny assured her. Hermione smiled, taking a sip of her tea. She was not looking forward to it.

The rest of the party consisted of an endless supply of desserts and sweets. Most of the girls at the party oohed and ahhed over the details of the wedding that Parvati had already planned and offered suggestions for those she had not decided on yet. Hermione was incredibly relieved when the sun set at last and the party came to a natural end.

All the guests were excitedly discussing the coming school year and how it would start in less than a week. Hermione said goodbye to everyone and planned to sit with Ginny on the train so Hermione could fill her in on everything.

* * *

Fortunately for Hermione the last few days before school were busy and went by quickly. Each day that went by without word from Draco made her a little bit more nervous. Conversely, each day she didn't hear from you-know-who made her a little bit more relieved.

Hermione shut the last one of her trunks and collapsed on it with a sigh. She wouldn't need so many trunks if mother didn't insist on buying her so many clothes but there was no avoiding it. Hermione had to bring every last article of clothing or explain to her mother why she was leaving it behind.

As Hermione had predicted, her mother had thought the idea of an arranged marriage was very romantic. Hermione hadn't bothered to argue, instead trying to appreciate the tradition. It was hard to think that anyone would agree to marry someone without even meeting them first.

"Especially since divorce is not an option," a familiar voice hissed. Hermione sat up straight. Voldemort again, in her bedroom.

"I know you were hoping I had forgotten, but I haven't," he said, his face appearing this time on the stack of trunks in front of Hermione. It wasn't his full face, but rather the topography of it so instead of skin, his face looked like the trunk, complete with a buckle on his cheek.

"Don't hate me, but I have to spoil your fun," he said, mockingly. Hermione shuddered. "Draco is going to ask you to be his girlfriend again," he informed her. Hermione felt her heart lifting, in spite of her best efforts.

"Yes, doesn't that make you all warm and fuzzy?" Voldemort spat. "I have to insist that you accept his request," he continued. "Or I'll make sure you wish you had." With that, he was gone.

Hermione took a deep breath. Of course she would accept Draco's request. She hadn't wanted to break up in the first place. Maybe it was foolish, but she really believed that whatever Voldemort had in store for them they would be able to fight it.

A quick glance at the clock told Hermione it was time to leave for the train station. She sighed heavily and opened her door to call for her father's help with the trunks.

* * *

When Hermione was certain that all the first years had safely boarded the train, she made her way to the compartment where Ginny was waiting. Sliding the door open, the first thing she saw was Ginny's bare back and Dean Thomas's hands eagerly fumbling with her bra.

"Oh my gosh," Ginny collapsed herself against Dean to cover herself and Hermione slid the door shut. A few seconds later Ginny's red face appeared in the doorway. "I am so sorry, Hermione, I thought it would take you longer to get here," she said apologetically.

"Yeah, please don't write us up," Dean begged from behind Ginny. Hermione shook her head.

"You're fine, just don't let anyone else catch you," she sighed. Ginny smiled gratefully,

"We'll talk tonight, when we get there, yeah?" she suggested. Hermione nodded, feeling her heart sink. She had hoped to talk to Ginny before she saw Draco. Instead she hurried to the front compartment and changed into her school clothes. There was no sign of Draco, but Hermione was glad to have a few more minutes to clear her head before he showed up.

The door slid open and Hermione glanced up nervously. Ron's flaming red hair and Harry's excited grin greeted her from the hallway. She smiled and motioned for them to come in.

"Wow, the head compartment looks just like all the rest," Ron observed quickly. He and Harry plopped down onto the seat across from Hermione. "Does the snack cart come here first though?"

"I dunno, I suppose so," Hermione shrugged. "How were your summers?"

"Pretty good. Can you believe we're almost done with Hogwarts?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head. "How was your summer?"

"It was alright," Hermione sighed. "Parvati Patil is getting married."

"I heard," Harry shook his head. "Crazy, isn't it?"

"That will be you soon," Ron scoffed, catching both Hermione and Harry off guard. "You know that Malfoy will want a big traditional Wizarding wedding."

"Oh," Hermione hadn't really thought about it until Ron mentioned it. Of course her mother had been suggesting it all summer but Hermione hadn't taken the idea seriously.

"Would you really marry him?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione didn't know what to say. She really cared for Draco, but this business with the Dark Lord was worrisome. Why was Voldemort so insistent that Hermione should be dating Draco?

"I don't know," Hermione said honestly. She wanted to talk to Harry and Ron about her conversations with You Know Who but couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew that they would just worry and insist that she have nothing to do with Draco, something she couldn't avoid seeing as how he was Head Boy. "I guess we'll have to wait and see if he even asks me. He might have an arranged marriage."

"You're right," Ron agreed. "I never thought of that. Boy am I glad I won't have one of those. My mother keeps pressuring me to date this girl who lives nearby and she's really unbearable. I'm sure I'd get stuck with her."

"Pity," a snarky voice commented. The three friends turned to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway. "Future generations of Weasleys could be vastly improved if someone would take control of your marital selection," he sneered. No one said anything for a few seconds. Hermione felt her stomach churning. Was she going to have to put up with Draco and her friends fighting all year? Draco's glare turned into a smile.

"Kidding, Ron," he said. Hermione relaxed as Harry and Ron started to smile as well. Draco dragged his trunk into the room and shut the door. "I'm pretty much certain I was never as small as some of these first years," he commented.

"They do look really little," Harry agreed.

"So how was everyone's summer?" Draco asked, sitting down next to Hermione.

"It was alright," Ron said. Harry nodded in agreement. It was clear that the boys were trying really hard for Hermione's sake, but the conversation was so awkward Hermione could barely stand it.

"Um, how was your summer?" Harry asked.

"It was alright. We went on safari in Africa again and it was so boring I thought I'd go insane before we ever got home," Draco replied.

"Must be nice," Ron muttered. Draco opened his mouth, but closed it again, not sure what to say.

"Well, I guess we ought to get out of your compartment," Harry suggested, getting to his feet. Ron followed.

"We'll see you later, Hermione," Ron said, following Harry into the hall. He slid the door shut behind him.

Once Hermione was sure that Harry and Ron were out of earshot, she started to laugh. She had never encountered such an awkward conversation before in her life.

"Not sure why they left in such a hurry," Draco commented. Hermione stared at him. He broke into a grin. "Kidding, again. Boy you Griffindors are a rough crowd."

"Apparently," Hermione laughed. Then she realized she was now alone with Draco. He took a deep breath and reached for her hands.

"Hermione, I owe you an apology," he said, his steely eyes studying her face.

"It's okay," Hermione shook her head. "You-Know-Who already paid me a visit," she informed him. Draco went pale.

"So then you know I want you to be my girlfriend again," he said. Hermione nodded, unable to keep a smile from spreading across her lips.

"I would love to be your girlfriend, Draco," she said. He smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," he apologized. "It's just that something is about to happen that I'm basically powerless to stop."

"You have an arranged marriage," Hermione said blankly. Her mouth went dry. Even if she had never imagined that she and Draco would get married she had never expected this. How could she date someone if they had no future together?

"I do," Draco confessed. Hermione pulled her hands away from him. "I wish I could explain it to you, but-"

"Don't worry," Hermione interrupted. "I know it's an important tradition for your family and that you can't just turn your back on that," she was surprised at how angry the words sounded.

"It is important," Draco agreed. "I know you don't understand, but please, just try to-"

"Try to what, Draco? Keep up with a relationship that's completely doomed?" Hermione demanded, unable to keep hot tears from escaping her eyes. Draco reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Please, Hermione, I need you," Draco whispered. Hermione suddenly remembered watching him jump off the cliff and shuddered. Maybe he did need her. It occurred to her suddenly that this relationship might be incredibly unhealthy. Maybe what Draco really needed was some counseling. She pulled away from him.

"Draco, maybe we shouldn't-" Hermione started to say. She paused. What had Voldemort said about refusing Draco's request? _I'll make sure you wish you had_. "Why did you break up with me in the first place?"

"I wanted to protect you from this," Draco sighed. He ran a hand over his head. "I thought it would be better if," he paused, thinking for a moment. "I was an idiot, Hermione, I love you. I need to be with you. Please, can't we just enjoy being together?"

"Draco, I don't know," Hermione was shocked to hear him begging. She had never seen him act so unlike himself before today. "You tried to," she couldn't seem to get the words out. "I mean, you tried to-"

"I know," he sighed. "The cliff. You-Know-Who must have told you about that too."

"He showed me," Hermione said, her tongue feeling like sandpaper. Draco turned away from her.

"It was a mistake," he said, his voice getting cooler. "I'm not suicidal, Hermione, you have to believe that," he explained. "It was just a really stupid mistake."

Hermione took a deep breath. Obviously Draco was battling something inside himself and she was fairly certain that the Dark Lord was to blame. Her heart was throbbing. She really did love Draco and even if she could only have him for a few more months maybe it was best to just enjoy that time while it lasted.

"I want to be your girlfriend, Draco," Hermione said suddenly. "If you'll have me."


	3. The Head Girl's Room

A/N: An extra special thanks to my first reviewer on this story, hopelesslydark. Thank you!

Chapter Three

When Hermione finally made it up to the Gryffindor Common Room with the first years that night she was surprised to be greeted by a mess of streamers and confetti. All the sixth and seventh years were dancing on the furniture wearing party hats and drinking butter beer, while the younger students were gorging themselves on piles and piles of candy. She sighed. This was not the introduction she had hoped to give the first year students, all of whom were anxiously peering around her to look at the festivities.

"What is going on here?" Hermione demanded, her voice barely audible above the music. Everyone froze, staring at her for a few seconds. Somewhere, someone turned the music down. Finally Lavender Brown sheepishly jumped off the chair she had been dancing on and walked forward.

"I'm engaged!" She shrieked, holding out her hand for Hermione to appraise. Some of the first year girls behind her cooed softly in approval. Hermione groaned internally. She bit her tongue and forced a tight smile.

"Congratulations, Lavender. Who's the lucky man?" she asked, studying the enormous diamond on her friend's finger.

"Sea-mus!" the seventh year boys chanted in their deepest voices. Seamus Finnegan was seated in an armchair near the back of the room. Hermione could tell from his glazed eyes and flushed cheeks that he was probably very drunk.

"Well, let's have this all wrapped up by curfew," Hermione sighed, knowing full well she wouldn't be able to prevent it from starting up again once she left for the night. Lavender threw her arms around Hermione in a gesture of thanks. Now that she was close enough, Hermione could smell the alcohol on her as well.

"He asked me on the train!" Lavender squealed, so proud of herself. Hermione kept her smile pasted on until she had shown the first years to their rooms. She left the Gryffindor common room to find the Head Girl's bedroom.

As Professor McGonagall had instructed, Hermione found the portrait of a Lion hanging down the hall from the prefect's bathroom. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she had worked so hard to earn.

"Here goes nothing," Hermione said, smiling to herself. She said the password and the portrait swung open. Hermione stepped into her new bedroom.

She was greeted by an enormous bouquet of flowers in the center of a round table. A chandelier hung just above it, suspended in air. The ceiling above it had been, like the Great Hall, bewitched to resemble the sky outdoors. A decorative arch marked the entrance to the bedroom, containing the traditional four-poster canopy bed with its traditional burgundy and gold hangings.

The room was round and contained not just the bed but also a desk, bookshelf, and overstuffed armchair. There were two windows, both just set high enough that the seat rested evenly with Hermione's forehead. She could already see herself spending long hours in those windows, devouring book after book.

Coming further into the room, Hermione could see two doors. One, she knew from her dedicated study of _Hogwarts: A History_, led to a common area she shared with the Head Boy. The other one opened into a dressing room containing a vanity and walk-in closet. Hermione found that all of her clothing had been unpacked and neatly arranged for her.

At the opposite end of the dressing room was a set of sliding doors, inlaid with frosted glass. Hermione stood in the absolute center of the doors and slid them both open in one swift, regal movement. Her heart soared when she saw what lay on the other side.

A sunken bathtub sat in the center of another round room, flanked by four white marble pillars. Above the bathtub was another chandelier. On the other side of the room was a set of double sinks. On each side of the sinks was a door. The right hand door led to a large garden shower and the left hand one led to the toilet.

Hermione stood in awe for a moment, taking everything in. No matter how many times she had read it, no book's description could come close to conveying just how spectacular the Head Girl's room was.

"Knock, knock," Draco's voice sounded behind Herimone. She was pleased to hear it echo slightly as she turned to smile at him.

"Isn't this the most spectacular thing you've ever seen?" Hermione asked, overjoyed. Draco wrinkled his nose.

"It's an awful lot of pink," he observed. Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "Those are some lovely flowers in your entry, do you know who they're from?" he asked. Hermione paused.

"They didn't just come with the room?" she asked. Draco shrugged and followed her out to look for a card.

Hermione studied the flowers carefully. It was an elegantly constructed mix of red roses, white snapdragons, and nearly black lilies. She noticed for the first time that around the clear crystal vase was a thick red ribbon with a small card tucked into it. Hermione pulled it out and opened the envelope.

"_To Hermione, with love – You-Know-Who"_ was scrawled on the card in an all-too familiar calligraphy. Hermione dropped the note as though it had burned her. Draco stepped forward and picked it up to see what had upset her. He crumpled it in his fist.

"Don't let him get to you," Draco advised, putting a protective arm around Hermione and pulling her close to him. She rested her head comfortably against Draco's chest, knowing full well that the Dark Lord had already gotten to her.

Just then shouting could be heard from somewhere outside Hermione's bedroom. Draco let her go and glanced at Hermione before heading for the door to the common area. Hermione followed him, entering the room for the first time. This room was pictured in her book, so it was less of a surprise, but still amazing.

Hermione recognized the stone walls and arched cathedral ceilings. Hanging from the ceiling were Gryffindor and Slytherin tapestries. One wall was covered entirely in bookshelves containing hundreds of rare edition books Hermione was dying to get to read. There was an oversized fireplace, two heavy velvet couches, and a small table with two chairs. It was cozy, despite the overwhelming presence of stone in the room.

She was so busy studying the room that Hermione hadn't noticed at first the gaggle of Slytherin boys who had crowded into the room. They were led by Blaise Zabini, a tall pale boy with dark hair and one pierced ear. He was built similarly to Draco and carried a six pack of beer in one hand.

"Brought you a housewarming present," he commented, holding up the carton. Draco glanced nervously at Hermione. "Hope we haven't interrupted anything," Blaise sneered. His expression was particularly vile and Hermione wished her boyfriend's best friend wasn't so cold.

"Uh, no," Draco cleared his throat. "Come on in, I guess," he was looking at the beer and back at Hermione who just shrugged.

"Come on, boys," Blaise motioned for the rest of the group to come in and they all filed in, each also carrying one or two six-packs. Hermione's eyes widened as they set their "gifts" on the little table.

"They don't have to stay if you don't want," Draco whispered to her. Hermione shook her head.

"It's fine, have a good time with your friends," she replied. "I probably won't stay up much longer," she warned him.

"Cheers," Blaise said, handing Draco an opened bottle. He and Draco tapped their bottles before starting to drink. "Think of this as my bachelor party," he sighed glumly. Draco's eyes widened.

"No way!" he said, giving his friend a slap on the back. "Congrats, old man," he said. Blaise shook his head.

"Yeah, Dad told me this morning," Blaise said. "I'm going to pop the question tomorrow morning," he sighed.

"Who's the lucky woman?" Draco asked.

"Daphne Greengrass," Blaise pronounced. "Not my first choice, but not my last."

"That's awful!" Hermione couldn't keep herself from exclaiming. Blaise's eyes narrowed.

"You should probably keep your mouth shut when you're not the one being spoken to," he snapped at her. Hermione recoiled, shocked that he would be so rude.

"Blaise," Draco warned. "She doesn't understand."

"I understand," Hermione said. "It's tradition."

"It's more than a stupid tradition," Blaise protested. "It's the only way to ensure a strong family line. We have to be certain the family name is carried on and not tarnished by half-bloods or squibs. It's an honor to have an arranged marriage."

"You're not acting very honorable," Hermione quipped "Talking about your future fiancée like that."

"She's got you there," Draco commended.

"Whatever," Blaise scoffed, taking another swig from his bottle of beer. "Just don't get too attached to your boy toy here, cause he'll probably be the next one to get the news." Blaise gave a very pointed look to Hermione who took a deep breath. She didn't want to think about that for the time being.

"I think I'm going to go get settled into my room," she said, giving Draco a kiss on the cheek. "Come say goodnight, okay?"

"Alright," Draco agreed. "Are you okay?" he asked, turning away from Blaise a little bit. Hermione nodded, though her stomach was in knots. Draco watched her walk through the room full of Slytherins to her bedroom.

"She's a feisty one," Blaise commended. Draco grinned and finished his drink. "She's going to be heartbroken when Lucius picks you a wife."

"Too bad it's not up to pops," Draco sighed, helping himself to another beer. He played the poor-me card for another fifteen seconds before smiling widely. Blaise would be so jealous.

"No fucking way," Blaise pronounced. "You-Know-Who is arranging your marriage?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded proudly.

"Sweet deal, Man," Blaise gave him a high five. "So you could end up with some hot foreign chick," he mused.

"You just never know," Draco said. If only Blaise knew how true those words were.

* * *

Hermione changed into her pajamas and hoisted herself up into the window ledge. The seat already felt like home as she pushed the window open a crack to smell the summer night air. There was something about the way each season had a different smell that Hermione loved about Hogwarts. She loved nothing more than to smell a crisp autumn morning or a sweet summer night.

Leaning back against the cool stone wall, Hermione took a deep breath and tried to calm her stomach. It didn't seem fair to her that the school year had only just begun and yet there was already a mystery unfolding. Why on earth would Lord Voldemort be so involved in her life if he was only going to turn around and insist that Draco marry someone else within the next year? Didn't he have better things to do that break little half-blood hearts? For the first time in her life, Hermione hated the fact that she wasn't a pureblood and therefore didn't stand the slightest chance at being the one Draco got engaged to.

"I don't know if I can do this," she admitted out loud. Her heart ached horribly at the thought of being without Draco, but how could she possibly stay with someone who couldn't be with her for much longer? Blaise had a point. Draco would probably find out who he was supposed to marry any day now. Then Hermione would have to spend the rest of the school year watching another girl in her rightful place. After all, what girl at Hogwarts wouldn't fall head over heels in love with Draco Malfoy instantly when he proposed marriage?

"Hey," Draco's voice interrupted Hermione's thoughts. She looked down at him as he came into her bedroom. He walked up to the window sill and offered her his hands. Hermione accepted them and allowed him to lift her down. She slid right into his arms, just inches away from the wall behind her. He smiled down at her. "You look beautiful in everything," he observed. Hermione felt her fears melting rapidly. So what if they only had one more week, or one more month? As long as she could be right there in his arms, shouldn't she be?

"I love you," she said, gazing up at him.

"I love you too," he said, moving in to kiss her. Hermione felt the wall behind her get closer until her back made contact with it. Had she backed away? She wasn't sure. Her eyes closed of their own accord and her chin tilted up so her lips could meet his. It wasn't until she permitted his tongue to dart into her mouth that she could taste the alcohol on his breath.

"Mmm, beer," Hermione whispered, breaking the kiss. Draco looked guilty.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. Hermione shook her head, laughing. The moment over, she crawled into bed. Draco sat on the edge and leaned across her. "I hope you're not upset that they crashed our common room. I really had no idea," he said. Hermione shrugged.

"Let's not make a habit of it, okay?" she joked. "I don't mind though, really, they seem to be reasonably quiet."

"You haven't seen how much beer is still left," Draco laughed. "They'll be swinging from the arches soon enough."

"Well as long as they swing quietly," Hermione said. "Blaise seems like a good friend," she observed.

"He's my best," Draco said. "We sort of grew up together. He's brutally honest and impossibly insensitive, but a good guy. I can't believe he's getting married."

"I know," Hermione sighed. "Parvati and Lavender are engaged too."

"No loss there," Draco joked. Hermione made a face. "Sorry."

"I just feel like we're all so young," she said. "Really, how can we be expected to decide who we're going to spend the rest of our lives with at such a young age?"

"That's why someone decides for us," Draco offered. Hermione took a deep breath. "I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't keep bringing it up."

"It's alright," Hermione felt deflated. "It's basically going to be unavoidable this year," she decided. Draco nodded.

"Well, my love," he said, kissing one of Hermione's hands. "I really should get back to my guests before they break something."

"Alright," Hermione agreed. "Have fun, and don't get caught."

"Who's going to catch us? I'm the Head Boy!" He laughed.

"Well don't get cocky," Hermione admonished. Draco kissed her forehead.

"Can I crawl in with you when they leave?" he asked. Hermione shook her head.

"I'd like to be well-rested for my first day of classes," she said. "And I'm sure you want to get nice and wasted tonight."

"Alright," Draco agreed reluctantly. "Well, goodnight then," he said, leaning in to give Hermione a goodnight kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied. He left the room and Hermione snuggled in. If only it wouldn't have to come to an end.

* * *

Draco awoke the next morning with a splitting headache. Despite the pain he smiled to himself, knowing Hermione was so close by. And to think someday they would wake up in the same bed without an entire sitting room in between. Draco shook his head. No, it wouldn't be so simple. Hermione would never agree to marry Draco if it meant, and it did, turning her back on Harry Potter and agreeing to follow Lord Voldemort.

Getting to his feet, Draco headed for the shower. The hot water felt good on his skin. Looking down, Draco studied his left forearm. Still bright red and blistered, the Dark Mark now rendered him unable to wear short sleeves in public. Not a huge loss, but he was worried about Hermione discovering it.

It was right after the incident at the cliff that Lord Voldemort had insisted Draco get the Mark. He was lying in his bed, wondering how he managed to wake up there and not in the middle of the ocean somewhere when the Dark Lord had swept into his bedroom.

"Pathetic," he drawled, examining Draco's completely intact frame. "You are far more foolish than your father has ever let on." He stood at his full height, looming over the bed.

"Nevertheless, you are my only heir and as such I can't very well have you taking spills off cliffs whenever you feel like it, can I?" Draco opened his mouth to speak but it slammed shut. "Don't bother speaking, you can't possibly say anything I want to hear right now," Voldemort laughed. "No, you're in a world of trouble, my boy. I have the distinct feeling you're going to wish I had left you alone to fall to your death by the time I'm through with you," he warned. Draco felt his chest tightening.

"I'm having a little bit of a ceremony tonight," Lord Voldemort went on, walking a little bit away from the bed. "Nothing fancy, you know," he paused. "A few of your classmates have come of age and they've expressed the desire to enter into my service," he took a deep breath. "I suppose you're going to need time to recover," he mused, pronouncing the word as though it were the foulest word he had ever encountered. "But it would have brought me such great pleasure to see my one and only heir join the ranks of my great army. After all, you wouldn't even be alive right now if it weren't for me."

"I'll do it," Draco sighed, finally able to open his mouth. Whatever else the Dark Lord had in store for him, taking the Mark would be the least atrocious and would probably make things a little easier for him.

The ceremony was, as Lord Voldemort had stated, very simple. The Upper Council was seated in a semi circle with Lord Voldemort at the center. Four candidates stood in a line at the mouth of the circle, and any of the professed followers who were free stood in a circle at the outside of the room.

After taking the oath of loyalty, each candidate for the Mark stepped forward, one at a time, to be tested. Blaise Zabini stood next to Draco, and shot him an excited glance from the corner of his eye. Draco couldn't help but grin slightly. Part of him had been waiting his entire life to take the Mark and become a follower. The only thing standing in his way was Hermione. If she only knew, she would never look at him in the same way again.

The shower door opened behind Draco and he froze. Now was definitely a bad time for Hermione to discover the Mark. Two soft hands slid around his upper arms and across his chest. He could feel Hermione's supple breasts press against his back. This was not the time or place for a discovery of that caliber. He wracked his brain for ways to escape the certain disaster.

"Good morning," Hermione whispered. She let her forehead rest against Draco's back so the warm water would cover her too. "How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Amazingly well," he replied. "And you?"

"Very well," she agreed. "I hope you don't mind, I was coming to wake you but when I saw you were in the shower I thought I'd join."

"I was about to get out," he lied. Hermione recognized a change in his voice and wondered why he still had his back to her.

"You won't mind staying a little longer, will you?" she lifted her head.

"Actually, I have to meet with Professor Snape before breakfast," he said, turning to face her abruptly. Hermione looked up at him, not noticing that his left arm was tucked neatly behind him. "I'll leave the water on though," he offered, brushing past her.

The shower door slammed behind him leaving Hermione in shock. He hadn't been rude to her like that since fifth year. She took a deep breath to steady herself and slowly pushed the shower door open. She wrapped a towel around herself and headed for her own bathroom.

As she walked into Draco's bedroom he was pulling on a crisp oxford shirt. She only saw it for a second but it was all Hermione needed. Emblazoned on Draco's arm was the Dark Mark. It was clearly new, judging by the painful red and pink skin. Icy cold blood coursed through Hermione's veins. Her knees were threatening to collapse under her. She leaned against the doorframe to steady herself. Draco turned just then, catching sight of her.

"Sorry," he apologized brusquely. "I'll see you in Potions," he offered. Hermione opened her mouth but no words escaped. Draco placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and vanished from the room.

"_He doesn't know I saw it,_" Hermione thought to herself.

* * *

When Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast it came as no surprise to her that a crowd of Slytherins were excitedly gathered around Blaise and Daphne. She heaved a sigh and headed for the Gryffindor table where Seamus and Lavender were snuggled cozily up to one another. Taking a seat, Hermione glanced back over to the Slytherin table. Her eyes met with Draco's for a terrible second before she looked down at her plate.

"What's the matter?" Ginny asked, observing her friend's strange behavior. Hermione bit her lip.

"I can't tell you here," she whispered. "After breakfast," she promised. Ginny shrugged.

"Did you hear that Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass are engaged?" she offered as a way of changing the subject. Hermione sighed.

"I heard last night, before Daphne," she confessed. "Blaise came to see Draco's new room."

"Really?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded. "Does Draco have an arranged marriage too, do you think?"

"Of course," Hermione said miserably. Ginny's mouth formed a very round "o" and she was silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," she said. Hermione shrugged and took a bite of toast. "That's got to be awful."

"What's awful?" Ron interrupted, catching only the last few words.

"Being engaged to Blaise Zabini," Ginny covered. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Careful, Gin, Hermione's going to be next," Harry said, joining the conversation. Hermione shook her head, her bite of toast sticking in her throat.

"Seriously," Ron agreed. "You know Draco will probably propose any day now, especially if his best friend just did it. He hates to be outdone."

"We'll see," Ginny said quietly.

"Ginny's right," Harry decided. "He'll probably wait a little while and make a big deal out of the whole thing so it's really big and shocking."

"Can we please stop talking about engagements and marriage!" Ginny exploded. Ron and Harry just stared at her.

"She's just jealous," Ron explained after a few moments. "Mum was on her all summer about how she's too young to be worried about it."

"Aren't we all?" Hermione demanded. "I mean really, seventeen years old?"

"Not really. My mom and dad were barely nineteen when they were married," Harry said. Hermione sighed.

"I'll meet you all in Transfiguration. I've got some things to take care of," she lied, getting up from the table.

Ginny waited until Hermione was out of the Great Hall before she told the boys, "Draco is going to have an arranged marriage." Harry and Ron both looked deflated. "Don't tell her I told you," she added.

"Well that's a load of crap," Ron sighed. "Why are they still dating? Shouldn't he have the decency to break it off with her?"

"Maybe they should just enjoy the time they have together," Harry suggested. Ron and Ginny both glared at him. "What? I mean, they're obviously in love with one another and shouldn't they get a chance to enjoy it? Who knows how long it might be before Draco has to get engaged. Should Hermione have to sit around miserable that whole time?"

"Well, no-o," Ron agreed. "But it just doesn't seem right."

"Definitely not," Ginny sighed.

* * *

Hermione's first day dragged on endlessly. It seemed everywhere she turned was more talk of marriage and who might be the next to get engaged. Furthermore, it seemed like Draco was doing his absolute best to avoid being around her for longer than a few minutes. Even in Potions class he kept finding excuses to walk away. Though Hermione wasn't ready to confront him about the Dark Mark, she did want an apology for the way he had treated her that morning. What was the point of them trying to make the best of their time together if he was just going to push her away?

It dawned on her as she walked back to her room after dinner that maybe Draco had gotten news about his engagement. Feeling her stomach churn, Hermione quickened her steps and rushed inside her room. That could be what he had needed to talk to Snape about that morning. She threw herself onto her bed and burst into tears. Her tears turned to sobs almost immediately. How could she have been so stupid to think that maybe she and Draco would have any time together at all? It was obvious to her now that she had just been part of the Dark Lord's plan to surprise everyone when Draco announced that he was getting married to some incredibly gorgeous and powerful witch.

"Hey," a concerned voice was barely audible above Hermione's sobs. Draco put a hand gently on her back. She turned her head just enough to see that it was him and rolled away from him. "Whoa, what's the matter?" he asked. Hermione shook her head.

"I can't believe how stupid I am," she cried. "Believing that you and I would have any time together at all before you ran off to get married," she sighed. "I really am a prize idiot sometimes"

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, wondering what she knew that he didn't.

"Don't do this to me, Draco," Hermione begged. "You know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how any second now, if you haven't already, you're going to get orders to propose to some random girl," she sobbed.

"Hermione," Draco said softly, sitting down on the edge of her bed. He tried to touch her but she recoiled from his hand. "Hermione, please, calm down. You don't have to worry about that," he tried to reassure her. She took a deep breath. "Please, you have to trust me that it's going to be a while before I have to propose to anyone," he said. Hermione sat up and looked him straight in the eyes. A wave of nausea washed over her.

"How do you know that?" she demanded.

"I just do," Draco sighed. "Please, just-"

"Then you know," Hermione took a deep breath before continuing. "You know who it is, then."

Draco didn't answer, but the expression on his face told her that she was right. He took a deep breath and tried again to give her a hug. She pulled back, but then decided to grab his left arm. Before he could register what she was doing, Hermione had pulled back the shirt sleeve to reveal the scabby, burned flesh where the Dark Mark was slowly healing. Draco wrenched his arm away from her, causing Hermione to fall backwards. She stopped crying, but the terrified look on her face hurt him more than seeing her cry ever could.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and gravelly. "This is not how I had intended for you to find out."

"I saw it this morning," she said flatly. "After you left me in the shower," she reminded him. Draco looked down at the bed cover.

"I think I owe you an explanation," he sighed, "and perhaps a million more apologies." Hermione was silent, so he decided to go on. "I found out this summer that my father isn't the one who gets to choose my future wife," he began. "Rather, Lord Voldemort has chosen. When I found that out, I decided that it would be best for you and I to end things. I wasn't sure there was a reason for us to continue on together pretending like our future was going to be a certain way when it wasn't. But I was wrong, and I knew it immediately. I also knew that the Dark Lord had plans for me, and I foolishly believed that if those plans were going to be my future then I wasn't interested in having a future at all.

"So I went for a ride. I never intended to jump off that cliff, it just sort of happened. But I never even made it six feet down. Voldemort saved me from what would definitely have been my death. As a way of repaying him, I agreed to take the Dark Mark," Draco paused. "I know that doesn't make much sense to you, but if I had refused to take the Mark after he saved my life then I probably wouldn't be able to walk anymore or something equally terrible."

Hermione listened carefully to Draco's explanation. She had known all along that Draco would inevitably be asked to become one of the Dark Lord's followers. It really wasn't surprising to her to hear that he had agreed to do it, though she was still disappointed about his decision. She took a deep breath.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?" Hermione asked cautiously. Draco thought for a moment.

"I love you with all my heart, Hermione Granger," he said finally. Hermione sighed.

"I love you too, but that's not what I mean," she protested.

"Honestly, I can't think of anything," Draco reassured her. "I won't keep things from you anymore," he added.

"What about your future wife?" Hermione asked, her heart leaping into her throat.

"What about her?" Draco looked pained.

"Who is it?" Hermione urged. Draco took her hands in his.

"Hermione, please," he said. "I can't talk about that, not right now. Nothing is going to happen with that for a long time, I can assure you of that."

"Look who's making promises he can't be sure he'll keep," a soft voice whispered in Hermione's ear. She felt each hair on the back of her neck standing on end.

"Hermione?" Draco asked. "Are you okay?"

"You can't make that promise," she said robotically. Draco felt his stomach grow cold.

"I can't?" he asked. Hermione felt the tears filling up her eyes again. "Says who?"

"You _know_ who," Hermione informed him. Draco stiffened.

"Hermione, I can promise you that I will not have to propose to anyone before Christmas break," he assured her. No more comments were made. "To me that's a long time," he shrugged. Hermione took a deep breath.

"Not until Christmas," she said, considering this idea. That was over three months from now. In terms of school relationships it was a long time. Who knew? Maybe she and Draco wouldn't even last that long. Putting that idea aside, Hermione threw herself into Draco's arms. He held her close and kissed the top of her head.


	4. Surprise Visitors

Chapter Four

When Hermione awoke in Draco's arms the next morning sunlight was streaming in through the windows filling the whole room with pure, bright light. Letting a smile creep across her lips, Hermione sighed contentedly and snuggled in closer to Draco. She closed her eyes again briefly and wished that it could be Saturday so she wouldn't have to leave the comfort of her bed.

Hermione opened her eyes again, suddenly realizing that she and Draco were not alone. The only shadow in the room happened to fall across Hermione's armchair which was currently occupied by none other than the Dark Lord himself. Hermione shuddered unconsciously.

"Good Morning," he said in his familiar gravelly voice. "It looks like you slept well." The old man chuckled to himself. Hermione couldn't speak. She closed her eyes again wishing he would go away. "Why am I so hard to look at now?" he asked. "Don't you remember the night we met? You and I got along very well," he reminded Hermione. She took a slow deep breath and thought back to the night she had first met Lord Voldemort.

It was at the Malfoy family's traditional End-of-Summer party. Hermione, who had befriended Pansy Parkinson the school year before, had gone with Pansy. There was a five course meal served and Hermione had tasted her first glass of champagne. And her second, and third. The gardens had been lit with thousands of tiny fairy lights and some flower had been in bloom, making the whole yard so fragrant. Hermione's head swam remembering it. She and Pansy had walked around the garden, enjoying the summer night air, and then returned to the ballroom where there was dancing and everyone was having such a good time.

Hermione sighed, wishing the night could have been so simple. But it was what happened next that she was being haunted by at the moment:

_Pansy took Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the ballroom into the hall. They went down the hall, past the foyer and up the back stairs into another hallway. They turned right and went into the first door. Draco and most of the other kids from school were sitting around a table. Pansy shut and locked the door behind them._

_"Now the real fun can start," Pansy whispered in Hermione's ear. They sat down at the table, and Draco pulled a plastic bag out from a drawer. He emptied the bag onto the table, leaving a pile of white powder that looked a lot like powdered sugar, and pulled out two razor blades. He cut the powder into long thin lines, then rolled a 100 dollar bill up into a tight roll. He handed it to Jason who was on his left. Jason leaned over the table and snorted two of the lines. Hermione felt like she was in a dream. She'd never seen anyone do this before, and she hadn't known wizards to use drugs before._

_"Muggles are good for something, eh Granger?" Draco joked, as though he were reading her thoughts. Hermione was still debating. Pansy handed the bill to her, and Hermione took a deep breath. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to give it a try. She imitated the others and put the roll into one of her nostrils. Then holding the other one closed, she breathed in through the open nostril. The powder flew up the tube and into her nose, burning like crazy. She switched sides and did another line. She could taste it running down the back of her mouth and it tasted terrible. She wanted to blow her nose, but instead sniffled, pulling more of the powder out of her nose and into her throat._

_Hermione's head was spinning. Everything was spinning in fact. She grabbed Pansy's arm._

_"I have to go to the bathroom, " she implored. Pansy nodded._

_"You okay?" Pansy asked. Hermione nodded weakly. "Down the stairs and on the left. The third door," Pansy directed. Hermione stumbled out of the room and headed down the stairs. She tried not to fall as she walked down the stairs. She turned right and headed for the third door._

_The room was full of cigar smoke. There were several men sitting around a fireplace, talking in hushed voices._

_"I wish we'd known you were coming," Lucius was saying. Then the men jerked their heads, registering Hermione's presence._

_"I'm terribly sorry," she apologized. "I was looking for the bath-"_

_"Quite alright," an old man said, standing up to greet her. "Come over here, join us for a moment." He gestured to an empty chair. Hermione sat, as she was instructed. "You are, no doubt, a friend of Draco's yes?" He didn't wait for Hermione's reply. "So you're starting your sixth year at Hogwarts. And no doubt you make the Slytherin house proud with your good marks. So tell me, Miss Granger," the man paused, leaving Hermione to wonder how he had known her name but not that she was in Gryffindor. "Lucius here is telling me that I should have told him I was coming. Do you think it terribly rude of me to show up unannounced?" He asked. Hermione could barely focus, but threw out the first answer that came to mind._

_"Well, were you invited?" She asked. The men in the room looked at her in shock. But the man who was questioning her threw his head back and laughed. The others exchanged nervous glances._

_"Alright, Lucius, you win. But you old man, should have invited me to your party," The man said, jokingly. They all laughed at this remark. "Thank you, Miss Granger. I think you'll find the bathroom four doors to your left. I hope you have a nice evening, and I won't forget you," The old man said. Hermione stood up to leave. She unconsciously dropped a curtsey._

_"Thank you, Sir," She said, realizing she didn't know who the man was. His eyes met hers, and for the first time, Hermione noticed they were dark red._

The memory caused Hermione to shudder, but the worst part of the whole thing was what happened next:

_Hermione and Pansy stood casually on the edge of the dance floor, watching everyone dancing around them. Professors Snape and McGonagall for example, made quite an interesting couple. But they were dancing politely, with plenty of space between them. Lucius and Narcissa, on the other hand, were dancing close to one another, looking very happy. Hermione hadn't ever imagined Lucius as the type to fall in love, but apparently, he had. Or he was a very good actor. Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder, tearing her away from her thoughts. It was Draco._

_"Can I dance with you?" He asked. She smiled and nodded. He led her out onto the dance floor, right in the middle of the room. They started to dance slowly as one song ended and another one began. Draco pulled her closer to him, so that her body was pressing directly up against his. Hermione felt her pulse moving faster._

_Then the room was empty, and it was just the two of them. They were lost in their own world. Snape and McGonagall stopped dancing and stared at their students. They knew it could mean trouble._

_"I don't understand," McGonagall kept saying. Snape nodded. But the two didn't seem to notice the precariousness of the situation. Snape glanced nervously at Lucius, for certainly he would be furious at the sight of his son with a muggle-born. But Lucius was smiling happily at Draco, something Snape had never seen him do before._

_That song ended and another began. The two danced for most of the rest of the night. Eventually, Lucius came by and tapped Draco on the shoulder._

_"May I cut in?" Lucius asked, beaming at the two. Draco smiled, happy to see his father happy with him for a change, and started dancing with his mother. Lucius took Hermione's hands and started dancing. "Tell me, Miss Granger, how is it that you seem to have won over my son so easily?" He asked. Hermione was shocked. She hadn't won anything, had she? "Oh, don't tell me you didn't notice he's completely taken with you," Lucius laughed. "You silly little girl. So, tell me, now that you've met the Dark Lord, he's not so atrocious, is he?" Hermione gasped._

_"He was so gentle, and kind," She replied, in shock. Lucius laughed._

_"He liked you too," Lucius said, still laughing. "Although I've never heard anyone describe him quite like that before. Anyway, he sends you his best, I thought you ought to know." Just then, fireworks started that seemed to signal the end of the evening. Everyone headed out to the terrace to watch them. Hermione stood between Pansy and Draco. She stood there, her eyes fixed on the sky when she felt Draco take her hand. Casually, she glanced at him, not wanting to attract attention to it. He smiled at her, and she smiled back._

Hermione felt her heart skip a beat when she thought about that moment with Draco. She had forgotten that the memory had such a bittersweet ending. What made it so horrible was that she had actually believed that Lord Voldemort was a sweet old man. He _had_ been gentle and kind to Hermione though, very different from the old man who was sitting with her at that very moment.

"I'm not that different, Hermione," he said, reading her thoughts. "But you have a different mindset, I suppose, now that you're not under the influence," he chuckled. Hermione blushed. She wasn't sure why she had decided to try the drug that night, but she had never done it since then.

"W-why are you here?" she asked him, scooting away from Draco. "Won't someone realize you're here?"

"You underestimate me, Miss Granger," the Dark Lord's eyes narrowed. "I can tone down the power of my presence a bit and sneak by undetected, since I doubt I have to worry about a fight from you," he explained. Hermione nodded. "And am I not allowed to come and visit some of my favorite students at Hogwarts just because I feel like it? Being around such fresh young minds gives me energy," he laughed loudly and Hermione felt very cold. She looked at Draco sleeping next to her.

"Why are you really here?" she asked. Voldemort grinned.

"You _are_ a smart one," he observed. "I like that." He got to his feet and dug a small velvet box out of his pocket. "I wanted to bring you this," he said, handing the box to Hermione. She took it cautiously and slowly opened it. Inside the box a red and black jeweled bracelet glimmered up at Hermione. She closed her eyes.

"Thank you," she said quietly. He got to his feet and took the box from her hand. As Lord Voldemort fastened the bracelet around Hermione's wrist, she felt gripped by a deep sadness not unlike the feeling of being near a dementor, but much more intense.

"I thought you might add it to your collection," he said, taking his seat again. Hermione nodded, thinking of the trunk filled with incredibly expensive jewelry all given to her by the Dark Lord. "I suppose I should confess that though it was Dumbledore's little game to give you presents that were allegedly from me, I always traded his present for one of my own. I have much better taste than he thinks," the old man said sheepishly. Hermione felt like laughing in his face. It was incredibly silly of the man who had the power to ruin the known Wizarding world to be so caught up something like jewelry for Hermione.

"So you knew about the test," Hermione observed. The Dark Lord nodded. "Why didn't you stop it?"

"Why should I have?" he asked. "I thought it was amusing and I certainly learned a great deal about how other people perceive me."

"Like what?" Hermione asked.

"Well, for one," he paused I would never talk inside your head like this he explained, the words appearing in Hermione's head like thoughts. She thought back to the many times she had believed that it was him speaking to her.

"That's good to know," she said, wondering how much of what had happened the previous year had been Dumbledore and how much had been the actual Dark Lord.

"Oh, Hermione, maybe someday you'll have all the answers," Lord Voldemort smiled. "Just know that from now on it's the real me who's speaking to you and giving you presents."

"Alright," Hermione sighed. The Dark Lord's smile faded.

"I hate to rush such a lovely visit," he said in his famously sarcastic tone. "But can we proceed with our business?" he asked. Hermione nodded, eager to find out the real reason he had decided to come see her. "First, I want to congratulate you on making the right decision and following my instructions to take Draco back."

"I didn't realize there was an option not to," Hermione pointed out. She felt a pinching pain in her lower spine.

"Don't get cheeky," Lord Voldemort snapped. "What I came to tell you was to stop acting like I'm the enemy here, Hermione," he spat the words at her angrily. "The sooner you realize that I'm on your side, the better."

Hermione drew a sharp breath. Of course he believed that he was on her side.

"That is exactly what I am talking about, Hermione," he said. "Let go of your doubts."

"Let Draco marry whomever he wants to," she replied, before she realized what she was saying. Her heart beat frantically as she waited to feel another sharp pain. But nothing came. Instead, Voldemort laughed.

"Don't worry about that," he said. "Draco is very happy with my choice. Ecstatic, even," he added. Hermione felt her heart drop. "But why are you still thinking about that? I thought you two had settled the whole mess last night."

"It doesn't just go away because we've discussed it," Hermione scoffed. "How can I forget that the person I love more than anything is going to have to turn his back on me?"

"He's not going to turn his back on you," Voldemort sighed. "We've gotten off topic, here."

"Fine," Hermione crossed her arms, realizing the discussion wasn't going anywhere.

"Well, Miss Granger, as soon as you come to your senses about everything and realize that I'm not your enemy, I want you to know that you have a place waiting for you amongst my followers," The Dark Lord said. "You have more than proven yourself worthy of the position."

Hermione sat numbly on the edge of the bed. The words echoed inside her head. So Lord Voldemort really thought she was worthy of a place in his army? It was almost ridiculous.

"Just say the word, Hermione," he informed her. Draco stirred next to her in the bed. Hermione turned to look at him, oblivious to the serious conversation that was going on while he slept. She turned back to face Lord Voldemort but he was gone. Hermione sighed and looked down at the bracelet around her wrist. It was beautiful. The jewels glistened majestically in the sunlight.

Draco stirred again and opened his eyes. Hermione smiled down at him, in spite of the heavy thoughts weighing on her mind.

"Good morning," she said. He smiled back at her.

"Good morning," he replied. It didn't take him long at all to notice the new bracelet Hermione was wearing. "Do you always wear jewelry to bed?" he joked. Hermione shook her head.

"I had a visitor this morning," she informed him. Draco sat up quickly.

"He came here?" he demanded. Hermione nodded. "And I slept through it?"

"Like a baby," she commented. Draco ran his hands through his hair.

"What did he say?" he asked nervously.

"Well, he brought me the bracelet, obviously," Hermione began. "But he also told me that I need to stop thinking of him as an enemy and that I have a place among his followers whenever I want."

"Really?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded, and then shuddered at the thought of it. "Hey, it's okay," Draco said, taking her into his arms. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he reassured her. Something about the way he said it made Hermione pause. She pulled free of his grasp.

"Draco, do you-" she paused, unsure of how to properly word her question. "I mean, you would tell me if um…I-" she struggled to come up with the right words. "Do you want me to-"

"Not if you don't want to," Draco interrupted her, guessing that she was trying to ask if he wanted her to be on the Dark Lord's side. Hermione let out the breath that she had been holding.

"Well, I don't want to," she said. "I could never turn my back on Harry and Ron like that," she explained. Draco nodded.

"It's important to do what you feel is right," he said, his voice sounding hollow. Hermione looked at him, trying to see what the matter was. Was he lying? Did he really want her to swear her loyalty to Voldemort? "I think we're going to be late for class," he said suddenly, getting out of Hermione's bed.

"Oh dear," Hermione said, getting to her feet. She dressed as quickly as she could and rushed to follow Draco to their first class of the day. "You know, it would be okay if you wanted me to - you know what," she told him as they walked through the halls. He nodded.

"I know," he said. "I just want you to do whatever makes you happy." He didn't look at her the entire walk. Instead, he kept his eyes straight ahead. Hermione felt defeated. She had hoped they might finally be able to enjoy their time together but here was another obstacle for them to get over. And it was only the second day of classes.

Draco stopped suddenly outside his classroom and turned to kiss Hermione before she went on to her class. She tilted her chin automatically, expecting the usual quick kiss. Instead, Draco's lips connected with her own and drew her into a deep and passionate kiss. His tongue parted her lips within seconds and his hands moved to her hips. Unconsciously, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

When they finally parted, Hermione felt lightheaded and short of breath. She couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. Draco smiled back at her for only a second until his eyes moved away from hers and his expression changed. Hermione followed his gaze across the hall to where a stunned first year was staring, mouth hanging wide open.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Draco demanded. The little girl ran off down the hall. Hermione felt bad for the girl as she disappeared around the corner. "See you later," Draco said softly, giving Hermione a kiss on the cheek. She smiled and headed to her own classroom wondering how she was ever supposed to concentrate with a kiss like that on her mind all day.

* * *

Lunchtime came very slowly that day. Hermione made her way into the Great Hall at last, completely famished since she hadn't gotten breakfast that morning.

"Hermione, do you think you can help me with my charms assignment?" a fourth year Gryffindor girl asked as soon as Hermione got in the door. Hermione nodded wearily and started explaining the importance of pronouncing each word right and emphasizing the right parts of each word.

As they passed by on their way to the Slytherin table, Blaise elbowed Draco in the ribs. Draco glared at his friend who gestured to Hermione's rather in depth lecture which now had a small group of fourth years completely transfixed.

"Do you ever look at her and just wonder how it is that you get to hit that every night?" Blaise asked, amused at the contrast between his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend. Draco looked at Hermione and then back at Blaise.

"Not exactly," he said somewhat uneasily. Blaise gave him an incredulous look.

"Please don't tell me she's still walking around with her v-card," he protested. Draco's silence was answer enough. Blaise groaned. "What is your deal, man?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco said, helping himself to some pasta.

"Draco, you obliterate virgins. Do you not remember the summer before sixth year?" Blaise demanded, referring to the game they had played while on vacation. The basic point of the game was for each boy to pick a random girl for his friend to conquer by the end of the day. Bonus points were given for each virgin.

"I remember," he shrugged. "So I'm taking this slow this time, what's the big deal?" he demanded. Blaise just shook his head.

"The way I see it, you only have a few more months before you're engaged to someone and you have to be monogamous for the rest of your life. It's basically a waste of time to be stuck in a sexless relationship. Especially one that's doomed, as yours so clearly is," Blaise counseled. Draco thought for a moment but before he could come up with a particularly witty and biting response Blaise's fiancée, Daphne, slid into the seat next to Blaise.

"Did you ask him?" she demanded immediately. Blaise grinned.

"I was about to, poppet," he said, giving Daphne a kiss on the cheek. Draco watched the interaction with pointed interest. To the best of his knowledge, Blaise had no feelings for Daphne whatsoever and yet he seemed to be acting very much like you might expect a couple who was preparing to get married to act.

"Blaise has something to ask you," Daphne informed Draco, giving Blaise a bright smile. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you won't be too caught off guard by this," Blaise prefaced. "But I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my best man?"

"Of course," Draco agreed. Daphne squealed happily and gave Blaise a kiss on the cheek.

"Isn't this exciting?" she cooed. Draco gave her a very forced smile. "I have to go tell Melinda," she said, running off. Draco dropped his smile and shook his head.

"It would be just my luck to end up with a girl who is wedding obsessed," Blaise mourned. "It's all we ever talk about," he sighed. "It's going to come to my wedding night and I'll know absolutely nothing about the girl I'm supposed to sleep with."

"And that's different from every other night of your life how?" Draco asked. Blaise glared at him.

"Don't be an asshat," he countered. "You know why it's different."

"Course I do, poppet," Draco mocked. Blaise groaned and sank downward.

"I'm trying my best," he offered meekly. "I know it's bad, but I want this to work."

"Hey," Draco put his fork down. "It'll be fine. You have plenty of time before the wedding to spend some serious time with Daphne and get everything taken care of. Nothing you ever do is half-assed so why should this be the first time?"

"Thanks," Blaise sighed. "I sure hope you're right."

"I'm always right," Draco stated, finishing his pasta. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some important Head Boy business to take care of," he said, getting to his feet.

"Sure you do," Blaise rolled his eyes. Draco chose to ignore it and headed over to where Hermione was sitting.

"Can I borrow you for a minute?" he asked. Hermione smiled and nodded.

"See you all later," she said, waving goodbye to her friends. Ron and Harry waved goodbye but shot Draco dirty looks. Hermione was oblivious to their expressions as she followed Draco out of the Great Hall.

"I couldn't wait another second," Draco said, pulling her back into his arms. Their lips connected and Hermione felt the familiar warm sensations spreading through her body. Draco's hands didn't stay on her hips this time but instead traveled all over her body. Hermione forced Draco's tongue out of her mouth with her own, enjoying the delightful chills caused by the tangle of their tongues.

"We can't do this here," Hermione protested, drawing back for only a second. Draco nodded in agreement but he couldn't help but continue to kiss her. His hand was on her back under her shirt, then playing with the waistband of her skirt, then his fingers were between the under-wire of her bra and her skin. Hermione moaned feverishly, sliding her hands up under his shirt.

"Whoa, hey," Draco protested, pulling away. "You're right, we can't do this here," he agreed. Hermione sighed and leaned against the wall.

"If we don't show up to Potions it will be incredibly obvious that we ditched it to be together," Hermione reasoned. Draco nodded.

"But if we get there early we could have the classroom to ourselves," he suggested. Hermione shook her head.

"It's too risky," she said wisely. Draco heaved a sigh and leaned in to kiss Hermione again.

"Ooh, ten points to Slytherin!" a mocking voice called out. Hermione and Draco turned to see Blaise had emerged from the Great Hall and that other students were beginning to leave as well. Draco made a disgusted noise and kissed Hermione on the forehead.

"Later," he promised. Hermione nodded and took his hand so they could walk to Potions together.

"If that's important Head Boy business, I'm sorry I didn't try a little harder to get the position," Blaise joked. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Granger. It's not my fault you haven't given up the goods yet."

"Blaise!" Draco snapped, glaring at his best friend.

"What? It's not my fault," Blaise persisted. Hermione wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole. Instinctively she squeezed Draco's hand a little harder. "If it were up to me, I would have taken care of that a year ago."

"Seriously, man," Draco warned, reaching for his wand. It had been ages since he and Blaise had gotten into an actual fight but Draco was prepared to put that behind him.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Blaise apologized. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he added, shocking everyone in the group.

"Okay," was all Hermione could think of to say. She wished he would go away, but Blaise walked the whole way to Potions with them. He talked on and on about almost every topic under the sun. Hermione mostly tried to drown him out and was incredibly thankful when Ron and Harry caught up to them.

"Are you going on the Hogsmeade trip this weekend?" Ron asked her. Hermione nodded.

"I have to go," she informed them. "Are you going?"

"Of course," Harry said eagerly. "There's a new Quidditch broom out. It's supposed to be the most lightweight model ever to fly at such altitudes with such speed."

"And it has the most streamlined design and compacted tail ever released," Ron added. "There's a waitlist for them already. Supposedly it's about a year's wait."

"The Slytherin team has been practicing on them all summer," Blaise spoke up, suddenly taking an interest in the two Gryffindor boys.

"How?" Ron demanded. "They've only been available for a week now," he stated.

"My father was at Hogwarts with the owner of the company," Blaise informed everyone. "The whole team got the brooms for free."

"That's-" Harry paused and looked at Hermione. "Nice," he finished. Blaise and Draco looked shocked, but Blaise recovered quickly.

"Yeah, I mean, the turning radius isn't quite as good as the old model," he admitted. "You really have to lean hard to get it to turn sharply."

"Do you think it's because the tail doesn't pick up the back draft as well?" Harry asked.

"Oh definitely," Draco agreed. "You practically have to crawl off the end to get it to turn downward."

"What a shame," Ron sighed. "It looked so good in the advertisement."

"Well, it's still the best broom on the market," Blaise put in. "You just have to learn to work with it, Not just anyone can pick it up and ride like a pro."

"I suppose," Harry murmed.

"You can try it sometime if you'd like," Draco offered.

"Really?" Ron and Harry chorused.

"No, he just offered as a joke," Blaise retorted sarcastically rolling his eyes. Ron and Harry exchanged glances, unsure what to think. "Um, he was serious," Blaise informed them. The boys smiled.

"Thanks, Draco," Harry said. The group had come to an awkward pause outside the Potions classroom. Hermione had been observing the entire conversation in silent awe. She never thought she would see the day that any Slytherins were nice to Gryffindors, let alone Harry and Ron and Draco and Blaise.

"Um, well you know where I live, just stop by whenever," Draco shrugged. The boys agreed eagerly, but then the conversation stopped again and they were just facing eachother uncomfortably.

"Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin," Professor Snape said as he approached. "I don't care what happened, just shut up and go into the classroom."

"But Professor Snape we weren't fighting!" Harry protested.

"I wasn't hatched yesterday, Potter," Snape retorted. Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. He had made a _joke_.

"Seriously, Professor, we weren't fighting," Draco replied. Snape stopped and looked at the group, casually standing in the hallway. No wands were drawn, and Draco was still holding Hermione's hand.

"Fine. Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for acting so strangely. Now get inside before I make it fifteen for wasting my time," He decided. The boys trudged gloomily into the classroom, Hermione in tow.

"I don't have to let anyone use _my_ broom, right?" Blaise whispered to Draco. Draco shook his head.

"Do what you want with your broom," he admonished, taking a seat next to Hermione. This was the place it had all started. During fifth year, Professor Snape had bitterly paired Slytherins with Gryffindors as potions partners until they graduated. His theory had been that in the "real world" you don't always get to choose who you work with and therefore his classroom was going to be the same way.

Blaise continued on to find an empty pair of chairs and took a seat to wait for his partner, Lavender. He yawned loudly and draped an arm across the back of the empty seat next to him. Lavender came in a few minutes later and dropped a stack of bridal magazines on the desk. She stood next to the chair and waited for Blaise to move his arm.

"Bloody hell," he grumbled, moving his arm. "I can't escape it, can I?" he asked no one in particular.

"What?" Lavender asked, plopping down in the chair. Blaise sighed and pulled the stack of magazines closer to him.

"Don't waste your time with this one," he advised, tossing the first one on the floor. "This one is only good because of its article about catering," he said, setting it to the side. "Daphne found her dress in this one," he put the magazine on top of the one about catering. "Our invitations and honeymoon resort are in this one," he added it to the stack. "The cake is in this one, and the photography guide in this one is the best done in years," he said, adding two more to the pile. Lavender stared at him incredulously.

"You can't be serious," she said finally. Blaise shrugged.

"Whatever," he said pushing the pile back towards her. "But when you can't book the photographer you want because you didn't know you had to book ten weeks in advance, don't come crying to me," he said. Lavender's jaw dropped.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said. "Seamus won't help me with anything," she whined. Blaise grinned.

"I'd love to help," he said, scooting closer to her. "Want to practice for the wedding night?" he offered. A shower of sparks fell onto his head from across the room where Seamus was angrily watching.

"Okay, now I really _am_ taking ten points from Gryffindor," Professor Snape said. The Gryffindors muttered angrily and Lavender scooted away from Blaise. "Shall we begin now?" Snape demanded, looking around the classroom. When he was satisfied that all the students were ready he began his lecture.

* * *

Hermione rushed to her room after dinner that night, barely able to contain herself. Once she had gone inside and the portrait had swung closed again she took a deep breath and headed for the common room to wait for Draco. But something made her pause. She didn't want to seem too eager. He was her boyfriend though, so it shouldn't matter, right? She wasn't sure.

Deciding it would be okay to wait for him in the common room, she made herself comfortable on the couch and opened a book. She was still wearing her uniform and her legs were stretched out on the seat. Barely able to concentrate on the word in the book, Hermione read the same page three times to finally understand what she was reading. Sighing, she set the book down. What was taking so long?

Maybe she should change, she thought. But she didn't know what to put on instead, it wasn't like she had lot of really provocative clothing. She sighed unhappily, realizing she didn't even have any fun underwear. Disgusted with herself for not taking her mother's advice to buy some underwear that was less boring, Hermione slid her plain white panties off and stuffed them under a couch cushion. Somewhere in the room, a man's voice chuckled softly. Hermione looked around frantically.

"I can see why my son likes you," Lucius Malfoy said, stepping out of a corner. "You remind me of my wife when we were younger. So innocent and eager to please," he laughed. Hermione wished for the second time that day that she could just disappear. Why was everyone so intent on humiliating her?

"Don't worry, I won't be staying long," Lucius informed her, coming to stand right next to her. "I'm sure you're dying to hop into bed," he laughed. Hermione blushed furiously.

"I'm not-" Hermione protested. Lucius raised an eyebrow, reminding her very much of Draco.

"Dad!" Draco exclaimed, coming into the room. He observed his father's position next to Hermione, his eyes moving back and forth between the two. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking very concerned.

"I just came to give you some instructions," Lucius said. "And your girlfriend here was just entertaining me until you got here," he added. Draco looked to Hermione who nodded and walked away from Lucius. "Give us a moment, would you, Hermione?" Lucius asked.

Hermione fled the room, glad to have an escape. She was mortified that Lucius had seen her underwear, even if her skirt had kept him from seeing anything he shouldn't. When she was safely inside her own room she took a deep breath to steady herself. What was going on today? First a visit from the Dark Lord and then one from Lucius? And what "instructions" did he have for Draco?

Curious, Hermione pressed her ear to the door. She couldn't hear anything, of course, so she moved away. Not knowing how long it would take for Lucius to talk to Draco, she decided she could start working on some of her assignments.

After consulting the list of assignments due the next week, Hermione decided she would need to visit the library. There was still no sound in the common room, and she was sure Draco would come and find her when his father was gone. She wrote a quick note in case he came to look for her saying that he should come find her in the library and then she hurried off.

It wasn't far from her new room to the library, which Hermione was very happy about. She began eagerly scanning the shelves, helping herself to the books she thought might be helpful or just interesting. She turned the corner at the end of the row very quickly and ran straight into Blaise.

"Easy there," he said, scooping the books out of her arms. Hermione froze, uncertain how to act. "These are heavy, Granger," he observed, arranging the stack. "Do you really need all this?"

"Some of them look interesting," she defended, trying to get them back. He moved away so she couldn't reach the books.

"When do you have time for all this?" Blaise demanded, setting the books on a nearby shelf. He took a step closer to Hermione, trapping her against a shelf. "You seem so busy what with all of your duties as Head Girl and being shagged senseless by Draco."

"Blaise, we're not-" Hermione protested, her cheeks burning.

"Oh, I know," he said, taking another step closer to her. His nose was almost touching hers. His steely blue eyes were locked on her soft brown ones. "You haven't fallen for the Malfoy charm just yet," he said slyly, "But it's just a matter of time before you can't resist any longer," his voice grew softer. He put a hand on each of her wrists "It feels _so_ good, doesn't it, mudblood? His hands all over you," Blaise said each word slowly drawing his fingers up her arms as he spoke. Hermione wanted to scream. Her skin was crawling where he had touched her. "I bet it doesn't take much to get you nice and worked up," he mused, moving his hands to her waist. Hermione's heart was pounding.

"No," she protested, but like it or not, Hermione was turned on. She couldn't help it. Something about the way he looked her made her just feel like melting.

"I knew it," he breathed into her ear, running the fingers of his right hand along her stomach under her shirt. "You need it bad, don't you?" he asked, sliding his hand under the waistband of her skirt. Hermione pushed his hand away before he could feel how right he was. After all, she still wasn't wearing any underwear.

"This is not happening," she said, trying to calm herself down. Blaise grinned and stepped back.

"Oh, I know that," he agreed. "But it would have been so good," he informed her. Hermione blushed again and reached for her books. "I'll get those."

"You don't have to," she said. He shrugged.

"I want to," he told her, heading for the checkout. Hermione followed him, still reeling from their encounter.

Blaise insisted on walking Hermione back to her room, though she would have preferred if he hadn't. They rounded a corner and found Draco heading in their direction.

"I got your note," he said. Hermione smiled, but Draco was eyeing the stack of books in Blaise's arms. He looked at his best friend and then over at Hermione and back again. "What's going on?" he asked uneasily. Blaise chuckled and handed the books to Draco.

"You should probably give your girlfriend a better way to spend her time than with all of these," he advised. Draco grinned at Hermione. "I guess I should probably get back to the wedding plans," Blaise sighed glumly. "Have fun you two," he winked Hermione and headed off down the hall.

"You two seem to be getting along better," Draco observed. Hermione shrugged.

"Sometimes he's nice, sometimes he's not," she said, starting to walk towards their rooms. "But I am trying," she added.

"Me too," Draco agreed. "I can't believe I actually told Potter he could ride my broom," he said, shuddering in disgust. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's just a broom," she reminded him. Draco gave her a look of disappointment.

"Hermione, it's not _just_ a broom," he informed her. "It's _just_ the nicest, most expensive broom available."

"Clearly I don't get it," she laughed. "But it was a very nice gesture."

"I suppose it was," he agreed. They turned the corner into the hall where their rooms were and went into Hermione's room because it was the first door they came to. Draco set the books on the desk and turned to face Hermione. "Now that we are finally alone, with no one to interrupt us," he said, unable to keep from smiling. "Can we please pick up where we started?" he asked.

Hermione nodded eagerly and Draco wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into the most passionate intense kiss he had given her all day. Hermione slid her hands under the back of his shirt and pulled him closer. He abandoned her lips and began trailing little kisses along her neck, down her chest. Hermione pulled back slightly and pulled off her sweater so that only the white button down shirt was in his way.

One by one, Draco unbuttoned each of the buttons on her shirt. He resumed his kisses, putting his hands on her hips to pull her against him. She had to arch her back so he could keep kissing her chest. He was now making his way down the line where her bra began to cover her breasts. Hermione pulled him over to her bed, laying down on her back and pulling him on top of her.

He reached a hand around to unfasten her bra and pushed it up out of the way, not bothering to remove her shirt. Drawing one nipple into his mouth, Draco encircled it with his tongue. Hermione squirmed eagerly under him. He switched sides, taking the other nipple into his mouth for a few moments before coming back up to kiss her some more. His hands, meanwhile, traveled up her thighs and under her skirt. With one hand he reached directly between her legs and let out a soft gasp when he discovered she wasn't wearing underwear.

Hermione smiled, oh so pleased with herself. She pulled Draco's shirt up and over his head so she could feel his skin against hers. His fingers were stroking her slowly, getting closer and closer to their destination. Hermione moaned softly, burying her face in Draco's shoulder as his fingers finally brushed over the most sensitive place on her body. Changing his plan, Draco moved his hand slightly and slipped a finger inside her.

She moved her hips to meet his motions, feeling lightheaded and hot but so good. Her fingernails were digging into his back and her breaths were short and quick, like little gasps. All at once the most wonderful sensation flooded Hermione's body and she melted into the bed as waves of pleasure washed over her. Draco smiled triumphantly and kissed her forehead. He kissed her belly and, kneeling, unzipped her skirt to pull it off. Hermione, still out of breath, took off her shirt and bra so that she was completely naked. She sat up and reached forward to unfastened Draco's belt and pants. Pulling them off, she had to take a deep breath. This would be the first time she had ever seen him completely naked. They had been in the bath together many times, but she had never actually seen anything. A little nervous and completely unaware that the expression on her face was betraying her true feelings, she reached to pull off his boxers.

"Wait," Draco said, taking her hands. She looked at him, puzzled. He didn't say anything, but began kissing her again. Hermione's lips parted instantly to allow his tongue complete access. Draco wrapped his arms around her and leaned forward so that Hermione was lying on her back and slipped his boxers off. Hermione let out a soft gasp when she felt him pressing against her legs, but she soon relaxed and allowed him to lie completely on top of her.

As their kisses continued, Hermione found herself feeling more confident. She pushed Draco over onto his back and slid down until she came face to face with the very thing she had been afraid of for so long. Unsure of how to proceed, she gave it a small lick. And then, another and another until she finally took it into her mouth. Draco groaned appreciatively as Hermione moved her mouth up and down. She continued the motion over and over until Draco pushed her away.

"Stop," he pleaded, not looking at all like he really wanted her to stop. Hermione released him, her eyes full of questions. "It's just that if you keep going then we're going to be finished," he tried to explain. Hermione thought for a minute.

"Draco, I-" she looked up at him. His eyes were bright and he smiled, waiting for her to go on. It almost broke her heart. "I can't," she said. "It just doesn't seem right if we only have a few more months together." Draco sighed, unable to hide his disappointment. He was in agony. If only he could just tell her the truth then maybe she would change her mind. No, that would never work.

"Hermione, I don't understand," he protested. "We only have a few months, why shouldn't we take advantage of the time we have? You and I are very much in love, I don't see what's so wrong with taking things a little bit further," he rationalized. It was Hermione's turn to sigh. She wanted to, she really did, very badly. But how could she give herself to someone knowing that he wasn't going to be hers for much longer? If she did that it would be a waste of all the time she had spent saving herself for someone who was really special.

She looked up into Draco's eyes again. He looked so expectant, so hopeful that he had come up with the right argument. She looked at his arm where the Dark Mark was staring out at her. Maybe he would forgive her for not becoming a Death Eater if she decided to go through with this.

"Okay," she agreed. The instant the word left her mouth she regretted it, but she tried to push her feelings aside when she saw how happy Draco looked. He sat up and kissed her more forcefully and hungrily than he had ever kissed her before in their relationship. Hermione kissed back, hoping she wasn't about to make a huge mistake. She crawled over and lay down on her back with her head on her pillow. Draco lay on top of her, still kissing her. His hand returned to the place between her legs, his fingers caressing that magic spot.

Though she was unsure, Hermione couldn't help but feel herself melting at his touch. Her breath grew shorter again and she felt a familiar warmth filling her body. Unintentionally parting her legs a little further, Hermione rocked against Draco's hand, waiting for that amazing feeling. She could feel him pressing against her leg and she enclosed her hand around him, moving her hand in time with his. Hermione closed her eyes as a small explosion occurred between her legs. Draco felt a small gush of wetness and seized the opportunity. He took the hand that she had around him and guided himself to her opening.

"Do I need to-" he started to ask. Hermione shook her head.

"I'm on the pill," she informed him. He nodded. Hermione took a shaky deep breath. Draco covered her mouth with his own. Very slowly and as gently as he could, he pushed into her. Hermione gasped and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked, not moving. She nodded but didn't pull away from him. Moving slowly, Draco began to rock his hips back and forth. He could feel Hermione's muscles clamping down on him and it felt amazing though he knew that it was probably hurting her. Something came over him just then and he lost all sense of control. Forgetting that it was Hermione underneath him, he started to move faster. As he did, he reached down to massage her. This caused her to relax a little, and her soft moans spurred him on. Her muscles contracting around him as she came again heightened his pleasure and soon he was spilling into her. He collapsed on top of her, gasping for air.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear. He smiled.

"I love you too," he said, panting. He rolled to one side. "Did it hurt?" he asked. Hermione bit her lip. She nodded.

"Not the whole time, but at first," she said. "Do you think I'll bleed a lot?" she asked, looking very pale.

"You shouldn't," he shook his head, "Just a trickle." He rested his head on her chest, still trying to catch his breath. Hermione's heart was racing, he could hear it. He closed his eyes and listened to the beat. Hermione absently stroked his head, hoping she hadn't just made a huge mistake.

* * *

Draco awoke the next morning still lying with his head on Hermione's chest. He sat up and looked down at her, smiling shyly up at him. A smile spread across his face and he leaned in to kiss her. She kissed back, forcing her way into his mouth with her tongue.

Within seconds Draco was lying on top of her, toying with her nipples. He slipped inside her almost immediately and was surprised to find that she was so ready. But he was aroused too and came almost immediately. He finished taking care of Hermione with his fingers before suggesting that they take a shower together before breakfast.

Hermione agreed eagerly and led him to her bathroom. Within seconds they were both covered in thick soap suds. She closed her eyes and leaned against Draco as he worked the soap through her hair. This was how she had always pictured their relationship, full of simple moments like this that were intimate and sweet.

She'd had a while to think the night before after Draco had fallen asleep. Though it wasn't how she had always imagined her first time to be, and certainly it wasn't under the best of circumstances, she had come to the conclusion that it had been the right decision. After all, she and Draco _were_ very much in love and they needed to take advantage of the time they had left.

The shower was over all too soon and Hermione was getting dressed for the day. She and Draco walked down to breakfast with their arms around each other's waists. When they arrived in the Great Hall, Draco turned to Hermione and gave her a long, deep kiss, the longest kiss he had ever casually given her in public before. Her head spinning slightly, she made her way to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ginny took one look at her and broke into a furious grin.

"Hermione Granger, you're not a virgin anymore," she pronounced. Most of the other students seated at the table turned to look at Hermione. Her furious blush gave it all away.

"Oh bloody hell," Ron muttered, losing his appetite.

Across the Great Hall, a similar scene was taking place. Draco had walked to his usual seat at the Slytherin table and sat down. Blaise, who had been observing their entrance with great interest was smiling wickedly at his best friend.

"So you stole the v-card, huh?" He asked right away. Draco smirked and Blaise held up his hand for a high five. Draco refused it.

"That's a bit low brow, man, even for you," he commented. "But I accept your congratulations," he said grinning.

"She's going to be impossible from now on, you know this right?" Blaise informed him. Draco nodded. "And when it comes time to break things off, you know it's going to be a disaster, right?"

"I know all this," Draco waved his hand dismissively. "I obliterate virgins, remember?"

"Yeah, but you're not usually in love with them," Blaise reminded his best friend. "I didn't just mean it's going to be a disaster for her," he said softly. Draco looked his friend in the eyes for a moment and was surprised to see a concerned expression on his face.

"I'll survive," he said, shaking it off. He frowned at his empty plate. "I'm starving, where the hell is my food?" he demanded. A stack of pancakes materialized instantly and Draco dug into them hungrily.

From the front of the Great Hall, the Hogwarts Staff was discussing this latest development with much interest.

"I've made it clear from the beginning that allowing the two of them to be together was a bad idea," Professor McGonagall said loudly.

"We all agree with you," Professor Flitwick piped up.

"Speak for yourselves," Professor Snape growled. "What's the matter with a little harmless sex?"

"The matter, Severus, is that they are Head Boy and Head Girl," Minerva McGonagall explained. "Not only are they setting a horrible example, but I think we're all aware of the fact that young Mr. Malfoy has an arranged marriage and therefore will be causing serious emotional damage to Miss Granger."

"And Miss Granger isn't causing severe emotional damage to Mr. Malfoy in any way?" Professor Snape chided. "Look at the boy, he's obviously very in love with her."

"Severus you wouldn't know love if it smacked you in the face," Professor McGonagall replied. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"I think we're all perfectly capable of knowing love when we see it, and I believe as long as the two are in love then there's no harm done," Albus Dumbledore put in. "Let's not forget we are talking about two of Hogwart's brightest pupils. They were chosen to be Head Boy and Head Girl through some extreme circumstances and we must remember the amount of maturity and integrity they demonstrated throughout those circumstances. I'm sure that whatever they're doing, they've thought it through very carefully and it's not our place to interfere," he said giving careful glances to each member of the staff. The matter was clearly closed for discussion.

"I can't believe it," Ginny was saying back at the Gryffindor table. Hermione was sinking further and further in her seat.

"Was it absolutely amazing?" Lavender demanded. Seamus gave her a dirty look. "Sorry," she apologized to him.

"Well, was it?" Ginny asked.

"Don't answer that, Hermione," Harry pleaded. "We don't need to hear about it."

"Some of us might like to," Parvati insisted, trying to listen in. Hermione just shook her head.

"I'd really like to enjoy my breakfast," she said, picking up her fork.

"Yes, someone should be able to enjoy it, since I won't be able to anymore," Ron mumbled under his breath.

"Would you knock it off?" Ginny elbowed her brother. Ron shrugged and picked mournfully at his plate. Hermione sighed and tried to enjoy her food.

"Oh my gosh!" Parvati squealed just then. A copy of the Daily Prophet was in her hands. "Dean Thomas is getting married to Hannah Abbot!"

"What?" Ginny choked on her orange juice, turning bright red. Hermione raised her eyebrows as Ginny turned to her with a helpless expression on her face.

"Everything alright there, Gin?" Ron asked, his interest peaked. Ginny nodded, still choking.

"If you'll just excuse me," she managed to croak before leaving the Great Hall. Hermione shook her head and took another bite of her pancakes. She was glad to have the attention taken off her for a change.

"Should I follow her?" Harry asked, a concerned look on his face.

"She just choked on her orange juice," Hermione said sagely. "I'm sure she just went to the ladies room to get a hold of herself."

"If you say so," Harry agreed. Hermione had forgotten that he and Ginny were dating, and she suddenly felt guilty for knowing that Ginny had cheated on him.

"I think I'll just go make sure," she said, getting to her feet. "If she needs you, I'll come get you," she reassured him.

As Hermione predicted, she found Ginny in the girl's bathroom. She had locked herself in a stall to cry.

"Come on, Ginny, don't make me crawl under there," she begged. Ginny unlocked the door so Hermione could come in.

"I was so obvious, wasn't I?" she asked immediately. Hermione shook her head.

"No, Harry really believes you choked on your juice," Hermione said soothingly.

"I know you must think I'm a horrible person, but I had no idea he was engaged," Ginny swore. She started crying harder. Hermione didn't say anything, she just held out her arms to give Ginny a hug. Sometimes the only way to make things better was just to cry.


	5. Halloween

A/N: Thank you to my awesome reviewers on this story hoplesslydark, RepressedMemories, Perfect Butterfly Blade, Sam, and DarkerFaerie. You all make taking the time to post what I write so worthwhile, thank you!

Chapter Five

The days at Hogwarts had begun to turn into weeks. September passed quickly and October was hurrying along as well. Hermione had kept up with her habit of running and, even though the autumn nights had turned from crisp and cool to downright cold, it was almost a nightly routine. She used the time to clear her mind of everything that would otherwise have been making her life miserable.

Ginny had broken up with Harry after the discovery of Dean Thomas's engagement. She couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth about the break up, instead citing that they were "growing apart" as her reason. Hermione had spent hours consoling Ginny in secret, and Harry not so secretly as Ron was mysteriously unavailable.

The reason for Ron's absence became clear on a Thursday evening when Hermione had gone for one of her runs. Ron watched from a window in Gryffindor Tower to be sure she was gone and then hurried down to the Head Boy's room for a chat.

"Weasley?" Draco asked allowing the boy into his bedroom. Ron was bright red and fidgeted with his hands. "To what do I owe the unexpected, er, pleasure of your company?"

"You have to promise not to tell Hermione," Ron said immediately. Draco raised an eyebrow. "I know you're not supposed to keep secrets from her and all, but this one you really have to," Ron pleaded.

"This better be good," Draco said coolly. "Would you sit down? You're making me nervous," he added, gesturing to the armchair. Ron sat down on the edge, still wringing his hands.

"I need a favor of you," he said finally, one of his legs bouncing anxiously. "I need a favor and you can't tell Hermione," he repeated.

"Spit it out already!" Draco demanded. He was used to people acting like nervous idiots around him, but he wasn't used to it from Ron.

"I need an afternoon pass to Hogsmeade this weekend," Ron barely managed to get the words out of his mouth.

"And why on Earth should I give you that?" Draco sneered. "You can't wait until Halloween like everyone else?"

"I have to go on Saturday," Ron protested. "I'm meeting someone," he admitted. Draco smirked.

"And who might this mysterious someone be?" he asked. Ron blushed a deep scarlet.

"Maybe I should have just asked Hermione," he sighed. "That might have been easier."

"No, no," Draco insisted. "You have to tell me now, Ron, you've peaked my interest." Ron sighed and stared at his hands, which were shaking almost as bad as his leg. Draco observed his anxious demeanor and realized that he was making this very hard for Ron. He sat on the edge of his bed to listen.

"I'm meeting Mr. and Mrs. Bones," Ron said finally. Draco crossed his arms. "I want to, uh, discuss something with them," he mumbled.

"Sounds harmless enough," Draco mused. "I guess I can give you an afternoon pass."

"Really?" Ron looked up in surprise. "Oh gosh," he said, his brow crinkling again. "Oh gosh, what if they say no?" he thought outloud.

"Say no to what?" Draco raised an eyebrow. Ron gulped.

"I'm going to ask them if, um, if, if," he choked. "I'm going to ask if I can, um," Ron was wringing his hands again, his eyes wide. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he admitted.

"Me neither," Draco sighed. "Ron, you're going to ask them if you can propose to their daughter?"

"Oh god, it's obvious!" Ron groaned, sinking into the chair. "I wanted it to be a surprise," he mourned.

"It's not obvious," Draco said. He took a deep breath. "Ron, man, pull it together. You're a Gryffindor, act like one," he advised. "You cannot possibly act like this on Saturday when you meet uh, whatsherface's parernts."

"Susan," Ron sighed, closing his eyes for a minute. His leg stopped bouncing.

"Okay, Susan. So obviously you have to get your act together before Saturday," Draco said. "Just take a deep breath and think about Susan and you'll do fine."

"You think so?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Draco said cautiously.

"And you promise you won't tell Hermione about this?" Ron demanded. "She's so uptight about weddings, I know she's going to be upset about it."

"I promise not to tell her about this weekend if you promise to tell her as soon as you've proposed," Draco compromised.

"Agreed," Ron smiled. "Thanks," he added, getting to his feet.

"No problem," Draco grinned. He shut the door behind Ron, wondering how on earth he had gotten to a place in his life where he could be civil to Ron Weasley. Then again, he had never expected that the Dark Lord would order him to marry Hermione Granger either.

"Hey," the door from the common room into Draco's bedroom opened and Hermione stuck her head through. She was pink-cheeked and still out of breath from her run. "Your mom wants to talk to you," she said. Draco nodded and followed her into the common room where his mother's head was waiting in the fireplace. "I'll leave you two alone," Hermione said, going into her bedroom.

"Hello, Mother," Draco said, sitting on the couch closest to the fireplace. Narcissa smiled at him.

"Hello, Draco," she said. "I've come to find out how things are progressing towards your engagement." Draco sighed and sunk into the couch cushion.

"You know how things are 'progressing,' Mother," he said. Narcissa frowned.

"Draco, your father isn't going to like this," she warned. "Please tell me you have made some kind of progress," she pleaded. Draco shook his head. "Nothing?"

"Nothing, Mom" Draco repeated. "It's just not going to work."

"Oh, Draco," Narcissa sighed heavily. "I don't understand why you're making this so difficult for yourself. I know you're in love with her."

"That's not the problem," Draco said. "The problem is that once she finds out she has to take the Dark Lord's side, she'll never agree to marry me. And she doesn't believe in getting married so young, and she wants a career."

"Draco, you're my only son," Narcissa pouted. "I just want to see you happy."

"Mom, I know," Draco got to his feet. "I don't understand why everyone thinks I'm just being stubborn about this!"

"Don't yell at me," Narcissa snapped. "I want to help you."

"Then tell me how to convince her to abandon everything she believes in and not feel like the biggest asshole on the planet when she does it," Draco retorted. He collapsed on the couch again. His mother didn't say anything for a long time and Draco wondered if maybe she had gone.

"What about philanthropy work?" She said finally.

"Philanthropy?" Draco asked weakly.

"Yes, you know, raising money for a cause you believe in?" Narcissa explained. "Isn't there something she's passionate about that maybe she would be interested in doing if she didn't have to work?"

"Y-es," Draco hesitated, thinking about the house-elves.

"What if you suggested that instead of having a career she join an organization to support her cause? Or start one of her own? We have enough money that she could do that," Narcissa mused. "That's certainly a socially acceptable activity." Draco wondered how socially acceptable it would be once Hermione started telling all the society members that they should pay their house elves, but didn't say anything. But his mother did have a good idea.

"Maybe I'll try to talk to her about that and see what she thinks," he agreed, not feeling hopeful at all. Christmas break was approaching rapidly and he was getting more and more pressure from his father and Lord Voldemort to take steps toward the engagement. Though things with Hermione had been going better than ever, Draco still worried that when the time came to propose she would turn him down.

"You know, Draco, I hate to say it, but this is exactly why Our Most Venerable One hates emotions so much," Narcissa sighed. "You're letting yours get in the way. Can't you stop thinking about this as a personal matter and think about it more in terms of what's best for the future?"

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, scooting to the edge of the couch.

"Well, why do you think we have arranged marriages in the first place?" Narcissa asked. "Because love is one of the most powerful and misleading emotions. You can't control it, it just happens."

"But aren't you in love with my father?" Draco asked. He had always looked to his parents to see how a successful marriage should be.

"Of course I am," Narcissa huffed. "But that wasn't always the case. It started as respect and eventually blossomed into something more. We were lucky. And whether or not you realize it, so are you."

"I know I am," Draco confessed.

"Then stop acting like this is the end of the world," Narcissa snapped. "Think about the difference you can make in our future and not about yourself for a change."

"Yes, Mother," Draco sighed.

"And let me know if you need anymore ideas," Narcissa said, before she left the fireplace. Draco said he would and then stretched out on the couch. He only had a moment to collect his thoughts before Hermione stuck her head in.

"Can I come in?" she asked. Draco nodded and Hermione pushed the door open to carry in a tray of cookies and two steaming mugs of hot cocoa. She set them on the table in front of the couch and took a seat in between Draco's legs. "I thought we could discuss the Halloween Ball."

"Sure," Draco agreed, taking one of the mugs. The cinnamony sweet milk chocolate filled his mouth and he felt instantly warmer. "How are the preparations going?"

"Fine," Hermione said. "The plans are all set and have been approved by Dumbledore."

"Good," Draco helped himself to a cookie. "So what's to discuss?"

"Well," Hermione paused. "The past two Halloween Balls have had rather…interesting events," she reminded him, thinking back to the year before. Everything had gone just fine until the very end when the King and Queen had been announced:

_Professor Dumbledore stopped the music just then to announce the King and Queen. The court members made a small semi-circle in front of the rest of the students. _

"_It is my great honor this lovely evening to announce this year's Halloween King and Queen," Dumbledore announced. "This year's king, from Slytherin House, is Draco Malfoy!" The students erupted into cheers and applause. Draco kissed Hermione's cheek and headed to accept his crown. Hermione felt Pansy grasp her hand. As soon as everyone was quiet, Dumbledore went on. "And this year's Halloween Queen, from Gryffindor House, is Miss Hermione Granger!" Hermione felt faint all of a sudden. She wasn't supposed to win. Hermione Granger was the studious type, not the popular girl. _

"_Go on, Hermione!" Pansy gave her friend a little shove. Hermione stumbled forward to join Draco. Professor McGonnagall placed a silver tiara on her head and someone took their picture. _

"_Now, our King and Queen will have their dance," Dumbledore announced. Draco led Hermione out to the middle of the dance floor as the other students formed a ring around them. The music started again and Hermione put her head on Draco's shoulder. Hermione sighed contentedly, feeling safe in Draco's arms. As the song ended, she looked up at Draco as he looked down at her. When their eyes met, they watched each other's eyes fade to red. Before Hermione could register what she had seen, Draco's mouth had covered hers. _

_Breena and Pansy watched, turning almost green with envy as Draco kissed Hermione, right in the middle of the room, in front of the whole school. There was a flash of bright red light. As soon as their eyes recovered, there was a collective gasp from the teachers and the students. Hermione and Draco had vanished. _

That night had been part of Dumbledore's challenge for Hermione and Draco. They had both been taken away to a place where they believed that Lord Voldemort had taken over the magical world. Draco, being his heir, was given the chance to take the throne with Hermione as his queen.

Of course, the truth was revealed at the next Halloween Ball which, thanks to some very clever memory charms, was also during Sixth Year. Dumbledore had planned the entire thing to test whether Hermione and Draco were capable of being Head Girl and Boy. They had clearly proved their worthiness of the titles.

"I'm sure we don't have anything to worry about," Draco reassured her, pulling her back to rest against his chest. "Dumbledore can't have anything else up his sleeve."

"I wasn't thinking of Dumbledore," Hermione pointed out. Draco nodded and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that You-Know-Who won't be pulling anything either," Draco stated confidently. "He's got bigger things on his mind than us right now." Hermione sat forward, pulling free of his grasp.

"What do you know?" She demanded. Draco gave her an amused look.

"Like I would share privileged information with you," he laughed coolly, making Hermione's' blood run cold. "I don't like keeping secrets from you, Hermione, but you can't honestly expect me to put both of us in danger for no good reason."

"Fine," Hermione sighed. She took a sip of her cocoa.

"Hermione," Draco sat up so that he was whispering right in her ear. "I love you enough that I would die for you," he whispered. "But if you love me enough, you won't ask me to do it."

* * *

A week passed and it was the day of Halloween. Hermione, Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, and Pansy were in Hogsmeade picking out dresses for the Halloween Ball.

"C'mon, Hermione, let us see!" Pansy begged at the door of the dressing room. It was the usual scene. The girls had found a dress for Hermione to try on, and she was refusing to come out of the dressing room.

"I am definitely not wearing this dress," Hermione protested. "Just send a different one in here for me to try."

"Not until you show us that one," Lavender insisted. There was a pause and the door opened a crack.

"Alright," Hermione relented. Pansy opened the door wide and Parvati and Lavender dragged Hermione out of the dressing room to the stand in the three-way mirror.

"You look amazing," Ginny observed, fussing with the full skirt.

"Well, it's the right size," Hermione shrugged, trying to get out of the mirror.

"I think that's the one," Pansy sighed, looking up at her friend. Hermione shook her head.

"It's so…" Lavender searched for the right word.

"White," Hermione finished for her. "I am not wearing a white dress to the Halloween Ball. It'll look like I'm getting married," she protested. It was at that moment that she caught sight of Draco in the mirror. He was standing across the store and had happened to turn around and see her in the mirror. She blushed.

"Well, we think it's perfect," Parvati concluded. Hermione took her eyes off Draco and pushed her way past the girls back into the dressing room.

"Please give me the next dress," she insisted.

Across the store, Draco forgot why he had wandered into the store in the first place. Seeing Hermione in the white dress had caused feelings he wasn't aware he had to surface.

"She looks good in white, huh?" Blaise observed, reminding Draco why he had come into the store –Blaise needed robes for the Halloween Ball.

"Yes, she does," Draco agreed.

"Too bad she can't wear white to her wedding anymore," Blaise smirked, giving Draco a hearty clap on the back. "Say, have you heard anything about your engagement?" he asked.

"Not really," Draco lied. "Just that it will happen over Christmas Break."

"That's coming up," Blaise observed. Draco nodded. "So no ideas at all?"

"Not one," Draco said. "Are you through here?"

"Yeah, let's go. I should pick up some flowers or something for Daphne," Blaise sighed. They left the robes store and started walking down the street. "I'm really bored with being a good fiancé. This whole relationship business is really dull."

"You've never been the committed type," Draco agreed. "But you're doing a good job."

"Thanks," Blaise shrugged. "Sometimes I wish I had found love, just so I would know what it felt like," he mused. The boys crossed the street and headed into the florist's shop. "Hello, what have we here?" Blaise asked, noting Ron Weasley and his growing bouquet being prepared at the front of a long line of boys from Hogwarts.

"Blaise, don't start anything," Draco warned as Blaise pushed through the crowd to the counter.

"Weasley, I never knew you had such exquisite taste in flower arrangements," Blaise intoned, leaning over Ron's shoulder. Ron, who was already a lovely shade of strawberry, turned a deep burgundy.

"Thank you, Blaise," Ron said through his teeth, clearly trying to keep his cool. Draco silently commended him for handling it so well.

"So who are they for?" Blaise asked. Ron took a deep breath.

"Just…someone," he said. "Please, it's supposed to be a surprise."

"A surprise?" Blaise repeated. "Oh, but I love surprises, won't you let me in on it?"

"Please," Ron said again. Draco sighed.

"C'mon, Blaise," Draco said. "Leave him alone, we've got better things to do."

"If you say so," Blaise stepped back from Ron. "But we're next in line now," he laughed. The boys behind him all groaned and started grumbling but one sharp look from Blaise shut them all up.

"Good luck, Ron," Draco said quietly as Ron gathered up his flowers. Ron shot him a look of gratitude and rushed out of the store.

* * *

Hermione sat in front of her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Behind her, Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, and Pansy were digging through her trunk of jewelry trying to decide on what they would wear with their outfits. Hermione briefly touched the brand new diamond lace necklace around her neck. It was so far the most beautiful and most elegant of all the presents she had received from the Dark Lord and it matched her dress for the evening perfectly. Matching earrings sparkled in her ears, but inside her stomach were butterflies.

As soon as she had returned home from Hogsmeade there had been a box waiting for Hermione with the jewelry to match her dress. She hated thinking that You-Know-Who was paying such close attention to her, especially when Draco had sworn he had more important things on his mind.

"Hermione, are you ready?" Pansy asked. Hermione nodded and turned to face her friends. She was wearing a dark green gown, strapless, with a full skirt. It was really fancy, but she desperately wanted to make tonight special since it was her last Halloween Ball at Hogwarts and one of her last special nights with Draco. Her hair was swept up in a fancy updo that had taken two people to charm into place.

The girls said goodbye to Hermione and promised to see her once she was inside the Great Hall. Taking a deep breath, Hermione returned to her vanity for one last look. Her reflection rippled and disappeared as she took her seat.

"You look stunning," Lord Voldemort said, reminding Hermione a lot of the way he had spoken to her the first night they met. "The jewelry is a perfect match."

"Yes, thank you," Hermione said, touching the necklace again.

"Why do you look so sad?" The Dark Lord asked. "You should enjoy tonight," he told her.

"I know," Hermione agreed. "I just wish this weren't one of the last special nights I'll have with Draco."

"I see," Voldemort thought for a moment. "Well, it doesn't have to be," he suggested.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "He's going to get engaged soon, and then he won't be mine anymore."

"Oh, Hermione, he'll always be yours," the Dark Lord chuckled. "You have thoroughly captured his heart. Nothing can change that."

"I should be going," Hermione said. "Thank you for the jewelry."

"Yes, of course," Lord Voldemort said. "Don't keep your dear boyfriend waiting. That's not good practice for when you have a husband."

"Goodbye," Hermione said, getting up from her seat.

"We'll talk later then," the Dark Lord called as she left the room. Hermione felt the butterflies return to her stomach and she prayed that he would wait until the dance was over to talk to her again.

Slowly, Hermione opened the door to the common room she shared with Draco. He was standing by the fire with his back to Hermione, so she took a step into the room and let the door click shut behind her. The noise caused Draco to turn around. When he saw her, a wide smile spread across his face and he crossed the room to where she was standing.

"You look fantastic," he said. Hermione smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

"We're going to be late," she informed him. He shrugged.

"Forget about it," he suggested, pulling her close to him. "Let's just stay here."

"Draco, we can't do that," Hermione protested. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I know," he said. "But I wish we could."

"Me too," Hermione admitted, knowing that if Voldemort decided to come talk to her again it would be much better if she was in the Head's common room than if she were in the Great Hall. She allowed Draco to lead her to the Great Hall, which looked spectacular as usual.

"We could sit with Ron," Hermione suggested, seeing that he was alone with his date, Susan Bones. Draco looked at Ron's table and shook his head.

"No let's, uh, sit with Blaise," Draco suggested, guiding Hermione to Blaise's table. Blaise and Daphne looked incredibly awkward together and therefore seemed very relieved when Draco and Hermione joined them.

"Your dress is _so_ pretty, Hermione," Daphne said enviously. "Where did you get it? Maybe we should change our wedding colors to dark green and...something," she suggested, not waiting for Hermione's answer. "Blaise, do you think we should make dark green one of our wedding colors?"

"Do you want it to be one of our wedding colors?" Blaise asked by way of response. Daphne sighed and looked at Hermione's dress again.

"I can't make up my mind," she said wistfully. "Hermione, what do you think?"

"What are the wedding colors right now?" Hermione asked, giving Draco a pained look.

"Red and Black," Daphne sighed. "I love red and black."

"It sounds very…dramatic," Hermione tried to find the right word.

"Does it?" Daphne asked excitedly. "I've always wanted a really dramatic wedding. I was thinking red roses everywhere."

"Roses are good," Hermione agreed. Daphne's eyes widened and she launched into a story about how she came to choose roses over tulips. Hermione looked around the room, trying to appear as though she was still really interested in what Daphne was saying though she had no desire to hear it at all.

Across the Great Hall, Hermione spotted Harry at a table with Neville Longbottom and two Ravenclaw girls she recognized as Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin. Ginny was a few tables away with a sixth year Hufflepuff that Hermione had never seen before. Lavender, Seamus, Parvati, and Dean were at a table closer to Hermione, and Pansy was sitting with Terence Higgs and another Slytherin couple.

Fortunately for Hermione, it didn't take long until it was time to eat and Daphne was forced to stop talking about the wedding. Hermione could tell Blaise was grateful for the reprieve as well.

"Oh, Hermione that's such a pretty necklace," Daphne observed suddenly. Hermione smiled and touched her new necklace.

"Thank you," she said.

"Where did you get it?" Daphne asked. Hermione swallowed hard.

"It was a gift," she said, taking a sip of water.

"From Draco?" Daphne asked, smiling widely. Hermione shook her head.

"Um, no it was from someone else," she shrugged. Daphne waited for her to explain but Hermione pretended not to notice.

"Well it's absolutely beautiful," Daphne said at last and went back to her food. Blaise quietly studied the necklace for a moment and then turned to Draco.

"Do you think I could talk to you outside for a second?" he said quietly. Draco tried to protest but Blaise gave him a look that Draco knew he couldn't back down from. He gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek and followed Blaise out into the hallway.

"What's up?" Draco asked. Blaise shook his head.

"You-Know-Who gave Hermione that necklace," he said. Draco nodded slowly. "I'm not an idiot, Draco, I know He only gives presents when he wants something in return."

"Maybe," Draco wasn't sure what to say. Blaise sighed and looked down.

"Man, why didn't you tell me?" he asked, looking hurt. "I'm your best friend, you should have told me," he nearly shouted the last part.

"Told you what?" Draco asked defensively.

"She's the one, isn't she?" Blaise demanded. "Hermione is the one He wants you to marry."

"Yes," Draco agreed. "Hermione is the one."

"Fuck," Blaise ran a hand through his hair.

Inside the Great Hall, Hermione was scanning the room again. She looked over at the table where Ron and Susan were sitting and noticed that Susan was smiling intently at her left hand. A small black velvet box was sitting open on the table. Hermione's jaw dropped.

"I think Ron just proposed to Susan Bones," she said, in shock. Daphne cooed and turned to look.

"Oh my gosh, you're right," she gasped. "Let's go congratulate them!"

"I'm going to go say something, that's for sure," Hermione started to get to her feet. Daphne put a gentle hand over Hermione's.

"Wait," she said. Something about her tone made Hermione stop what she was doing. "I know you don't like our traditional Wizarding marriages and you don't agree with our way of thinking, but right now is not the time to have that fight with Ron," Daphne insisted. "You are one of his best friends and it's your job to be happy for him and support his decision whether it's one that you would have made or not."

"But what if it's the wrong decision?" Hermione asked. "What if they really are too young and it doesn't work out because they weren't ready to make that kind of decision?"

"Well, there's only one way to find that out and if that's what does happen, then it will be very sad," Daphne said. "And you'll have to help Ron pick up the pieces, yes, but that's what good friends do. Divorce is fairly uncommon in the Wizarding world though, especially in the case of an arranged marriage. We might be young, but we take it very seriously."

"I know," Hermione sighed. "I just don't want to see him get hurt."

"Of course you don't," Daphne agreed. "If he'd had an arranged marriage then you wouldn't have to worry so much," she said wistfully.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Well, marriages aren't just arranged randomly, you know," Daphne explained. "There's a very in-depth series of compatibility tests conducted on all potential matches. Ideally, you're compatible enough that you could fall in love."

"What are the odds of that though?" Hermione laughed. Daphne gave her a very serious glare.

"Draco's parents have that," she pointed out. Hermione was surprised. She hadn't known that Lucius and Narcissa had an arranged marriage.

"That's pretty incredible," Hermione thought out loud. She looked over at Ron's table again. He looked so happy.

"Obviously that's the ideal situation and it doesn't always happen like that, but it can come close. We're not barbaric, sticking our children with whomever has the most money," Daphne smiled. Hermione sighed and touched the necklace around her neck.

"Daphne, would you ever turn your back on your friends?" Hermione asked suddenly, catching herself and Daphne completely off guard. "I mean, can you think of any reason or circumstance at all?"

Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but before anything could come out of her mouth a familiar face appeared in Hermione's dish of chocolate ice cream.

"Such a serious chat for such a lovely evening," the Dark Lord said. Hermione shrugged and fought the urge to jab her spoon into his eye. "Oh, don't be mean, Hermione, I just wanted to see if you were having a good time," he laughed.

"We're having a lovely time," Daphne said happily. Voldemort smiled and Hermione felt the same gripping sadness she had felt before when he put the bracelet on her wrist.

"I'm glad. I hope the rest of your night goes well," he said. "Now, Hermione, wouldn't you like to be able to keep going to balls after you leave Hogwarts? Don't you just love getting all dressed up?"

"I guess," Hermione nodded.

"Interesting," Lord Voldemort said. He winked at Daphne and vanished. Hermione felt the sadness leave instantly.

"You two seem to be downright chummy," Daphne observed. Draco and Blaise returned to the table.

"Who is Hermione chummy with?" Draco asked. Daphne smiled.

"No one special," she said, taking a bite of her own ice cream. "Oh this is really marvelous," she said. Hermione pushed her bowl away.

"What, you're not eating yours?" Draco observed. Hermione shook her head. "Well I guess I'll be forced to eat it then," he said, taking a big bite.

"Ron and Susan are engaged," Daphne announced. Draco turned to look at Ron.

"So they are," he agreed. "Good for Ron."

"You knew," Hermione realized from his casual reaction. "I can't believe you knew and didn't tell me!"

"He swore me to secrecy," Draco said with his mouth full of ice cream. "I only agreed if he promised to tell you right away."

"That's not fair," Hermione protested. "You can't keep secrets from me," she scolded. Blaise choked on his water.

"Oh, if you only knew," he said, once he got his coughing under control.

"Blaise, don't start anything," Draco pleaded. Blaise shrugged.

"I think it's time for a dance," he suggested, extending a hand to Daphne. She took it happily and followed him to the dance floor.

"Do you want to dance?" Draco asked. Hermione took a deep breath.

"Okay," she agreed.

"I've invited Blaise and Daphne over after this," he said as they found a spot on the dance floor. Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"I invited some friends over too," she told him.

"Well, I guess we're having a party," Draco laughed. Hermione nodded, a little bit concerned about how many people might actually end up in their common room. "Gosh, I hope we don't run out of beer, that would be humiliating," he mused. Hermione glared at him.

"You are acting so weird," she informed him. "What is going on?"

"It's nothing," Draco sighed. "I mean, it's something, obviously, but don't worry about it."

"Right," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Obviously you're upset about something, and it's only been bothering you since you talked to Blaise."

"Yes, you're right, Hermione, but I'm not going to tell you what it is, so just don't let it ruin your night, okay?" Draco said firmly. Hermione took a deep breath. She knew that Draco had to keep some secrets from her because of his affiliation with the Dark Lord but she really hated when he talked to her like that. "I'm sorry," Draco apologized a few seconds later.

"I know," Hermione replied. The song changed to a slow one and Draco pulled Hermione closer to him. He knew she was upset but he decided to ignore it for the time being. That was something he had learned from his father – doing sweet things when a woman is mad at you may not get her to forgive you, but it certainly doesn't hurt anything. As though to prove his theory, Hermione rested her head against his chest.

Draco gazed out across the dance floor and made eye contact with Blaise who was staring at him with a strange sadness in his eyes. Sure, it was definitely going to be hard for Draco to convince Hermione to marry him and join the Dark Lord's followers, but wasn't Blaise being a little bit dramatic? It wasn't like Draco could actually fail at this, Hermione loved him and at some point she would realize that they belonged together. Besides, Draco was able to control her when he wanted to, though he didn't make a habit of it. He had talked her into sleeping with him, after all.

"Mmm, let's go back to our room," Hermione whispered. Draco smirked.

"We have to stay until everyone leaves," he reminded her. Hermione sighed and wrapped her arms around him. Draco kissed the top of her head. "Don't think about that though, think about something else," he suggested. "Like, what would you do with your life if you didn't have to work?"

"Hmm," Hermione thought for a while. "Travel, I think."

"Oh, good answer," Draco commended. "And in between trips?"

"I don't know," Hermione lifted her head to think some more. "I might get involved in some charity work. Do an outreach for muggle families who have a witch or wizard child and don't know anything about the Wizarding world," she suggested. Draco was surprised to hear that she wasn't thinking about house elves for a change, but he welcomed this new idea. "Why, what would you do?"

"I would spend time with my children," Draco said decisively. "Play with them and stuff," he added. Hermione smiled up at him, forgetting her earlier frustration.

"How many children do you want?" she asked. Draco shrugged.

"No more than four," he said. "All girls."

"All girls?" Hermione demanded, incredulous. "You don't want a son to carry on the family name?"

"Oh right," Draco agreed. "Okay, one boy, three girls."

"I think two boys and two girls would be nice," Hermione mused. Draco laughed.

"That's very typical of you, to want a balance," he pointed out. Hermione shrugged. The song changed to a faster one and Hermione pulled away from Draco.

"Let's go outside," she suggested. Draco agreed and followed her out to the terrace. It was very quiet and unseasonably cold for October. There were space heaters set out at random intervals to warm anyone who ventured outside. Hermione stood at the stone railing near one of the heaters and looked out over the Hogwarts grounds. She sighed heavily.

"What's the matter?" Draco asked.

"I can't believe that this is our last year here," Hermione replied. "It just seems like it all went so fast."

"It didn't go by that quickly. We lived sixth year like eight times," he reminded her.

"It wasn't eight times," Hermione laughed. "Just once if you do the math."

"And there was a random other life thrown in there too," Draco pointed out. Hermione shrugged.

"I know it's been almost seven years, but I just feel like this year is going by so quickly already," she said. "Everyone is making plans."

"Yes, we're making plans," Draco repeated. "But plans can be good."

"Sometimes," Hermione agreed. "But you have plans that don't involve me," she said.

"Don't you have plans that don't involve me?" he asked. Hermione smiled weakly. "I know, it's different," he smiled.

"Exactly," Hermione sighed again. She leaned against Draco and he wrapped his arms around her. They stood at the railing in silence for a long time. Draco was surprised at how comfortable that silence was.

"I think people are starting to leave," Draco said finally, hearing the music inside turn off. Hermione took a deep breath and turned to kiss him before they went indoors.

* * *

Once the Great Hall was empty, Draco and Hermione headed back to their rooms to let their guests in. Everyone had changed into pajamas and came carrying bags with odd, bottle-shaped lumps in them. Hermione let the girls in through her room and directed everyone to the common room while she changed.

When Hermione emerged from her room she was surprised to see how many people had gathered in the common room. It seemed like most of the sixth and seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors had come out. For a brief moment, Hermione contemplated the fact that she and Draco had managed to coordinate such a successful inter-house bonding activity.

"Cheers," Draco said, greeting her with a drink. Hermione took a cautious sip. It tasted like coconut. "Oh, this is important. Don't mix muggle liquor and Wizard liquor. You'll be really sick if you do," he informed her. Hermione nodded and took another sip. Most of the girls had clustered by the fireplace to play some sort of drinking game and Hermione wandered over to watch. The game consisted of each girl saying something she had never done and if any other girl had done it, she had to take a drink.

"Hermione, your turn," Pansy called out. Hermione thought for a minute.

"Never have I ever been engaged," she said. Parvati, Lavender, Daphne, and Susan all took drinks. Ginny, Mandy, Lisa, and Pansy did not.

"That was boring, Hermione," Lavender chided. Hermione shrugged and listened as the other girls listed off lurid sexual acts. She found after an hour that she wasn't getting very drunk this way, while some of the girls were getting very drunk indeed. Hermione wandered over to where Ron and Harry were talking.

"Hermione, Ron's engaged," Harry announced as soon as she got close enough. Hermione smiled.

"So I hear," she said. Ron was glowing bright red, but he was smiling from ear to ear. "Congratulations," she told him.

"Thanks," Ron said. "You know, Harry's thinking about-"

"Shh," Harry interrupted. "She's coming over here." Hermione felt her heart sink. She wouldn't know what to do if all of her friends were suddenly engaged.

"Can we go?" Mandy asked, taking Harry's arm. "I'm really sleepy," she said, faking a yawn. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that sleep was the last thing on Mandy's agenda.

"Don't get caught walking back," Hermione admonished. Harry grinned and wished everyone a good night.

"Yes, I can see why he'd like to marry her," Ron mused. Hermione was finally able to roll her eyes.

"And is that the reason why you want to marry Susan?" she demanded.

"Hermione!" Ron protested. He was drunk, but not too drunk to defend his fiancée's honor.

"Sorry," Hermione said flatly. She went over to Draco and rested her head on his shoulder. Draco was talking to a group of Slytherin boys but he put his arm around Hermione and motioned for someone to get her another drink. Bored by the conversation, Hermione drained her new drink very quickly.

"I think I'm just going to go to bed," Hermione said. Draco looked down at her and pulled his arm away.

"Come here," he said, walking over to fix her another drink. "Go sit with the girls," he instructed, handing her a new glass. "I think their game is over now, and it's been a while since you've hung out with them."

"I hung out with them today," Hermione protested. Draco smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

"Please, I don't know how to entertain them and someone has to make sure they don't drink too much," he whispered. Hermione sighed and took her drink over to sit with the girls. They were talking about weddings, of course, so Hermione just took a seat and listened in silence for a while. She drifted in and out of the conversation, mostly watching Draco across the room. He was so confident and relaxed in this setting. Hermione felt a pang of sadness knowing that in less than two months she would have to say goodbye to him. She took a deep breath and forced herself to start paying attention to what the girls were talking about.

"My mother still has her dress," Ginny was saying. "But she was so much taller than me that it's not even an option for me to wear it, thank goodness."

"I think it's sweet," Susan shrugged. "All the women in my family have worn it, I always just assumed that I would wear it too. I hope it fits."

"My mother wants me to wear her dress," Hermione sighed surprised she had anything to contribute to the conversation. "It's absolutely hideous though, I wouldn't be caught dead in it."

"Oh, I know," Pansy agreed. "My mother's is so old-fashioned," she rolled her eyes. Ron came over to the group and motioned for Susan to come with him.

"I guess we're leaving now," Susan smiled at everyone.

"We should go too," Lavender said, getting to her feet. Most of the girls followed, but Daphne hung back.

"Thanks for having us, Hermione," Ginny said. Each girl gave Hermione a hug as they filed out.

"Thank you for coming," Hermione said.

"It was nice meeting you, Daphne," Susan said as she walked away.

"You too," Daphne called after the girls. The room got very quiet as the guests filed out through the bedrooms. "I guess we should tidy up," Daphne said, pulling her wand out from the bag she had stashed under the table. She and Hermione cleared the empty bottles and dirty cups in just a few minutes.

"Beautiful," Hermione observed the clean common room.

"Definitely," Daphne agreed. She studied Hermione's face for a minute and then stepped very close to her so that only Hermione could hear what she was saying. "So I have an answer to the question you asked me earlier, about turning your back on your friends." Hermione nodded, surprised that Daphne had actually remembered. "Okay, so I'm pretty sure that I know what you're referring to when you say that," she said, pausing for a moment. "And I'm pretty sure that if you do what you're thinking about doing you won't necessarily be turning your back on anyone."

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked, pretty sure that Daphne didn't know that Hermione meant joining the Dark Lord's followers because that would definitely mean turning her back on Ron and Harry.

"Because you've already been doing it for a year now," Daphne said firmly. Hermione opened her mouth to speak but couldn't say anything. Daphne was right. For a year she had been in contact with Lord Voldemort. Harry and Ron were completely unaware that she actually had a pretty decent relationship with him. And yet they were still her close friends.

"So I've already turned my back on them," Hermione realized. Daphne shook her head.

"Don't think of it that way," she suggested. "You haven't really done anything wrong."

"Maybe not," Hermione agreed. She tried to stop thinking about it because it was making her feel sick. How could she not have realized what she was doing sooner?

"I just think," Daphne said, "that it's not as simple as you're trying to make it. I don't think there's an entirely right or entirely wrong choice."


	6. December

A/N:  I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than some of the others. It's pretty important though! As always, thanks to my wonderful reviewers.

Chapter Six

The month of November flew by and December began at Hogwarts with a horrendous ice storm. The students were confined to the castle and though it was large enough to entertain them all with its shifting rooms and passages, the students were feeling an intense cabin fever.

"Ronald Weasley, if you toss another wadded up piece of parchment at me I'll wring your neck!" Ginny Weasley shrieked. Ron rolled his eyes at his sister who was working on a Potions essay. He wandered over to where Harry was working on a Defense against the Dark Arts assignment and started drumming his fingers on the desk.

"Ron, can't you go visit Susan?" Harry demanded, exasperated with his friend's restless behavior.

"She's got too much homework," Ron said. "Can't you take a break for some Wizard's chess?"

"Not now, Ron," Harry sighed. "Shouldn't you be doing schoolwork of some sort?"

"You sound too much like Hermione," Ron snapped. "Besides, we're seventh years now, it doesn't much matter what marks we get anymore," he huffed, leaving the common room.

Meanwhile, Hermione was struggling to entertain herself as well. Draco had vanished earlier in the afternoon and Hermione wasn't sure how much longer she could handle being alone in the Head Girl's room. The smallest things were starting to wear on her, and she was almost positive that she was paranoid.

During the past month Draco had been spending a lot of time with Blaise. Hermione was sometimes included, but mostly not. Instead, Blaise would drop by with Daphne and the boys would come up with an excuse to leave the girls alone for several hours. Anytime Hermione started to talk about how long the boys had been gone, Daphne acted like it was perfectly normal. Hermione had believed her until she started noticing little bruises and scratches in unusual places on Draco's body.

Today was another day that Draco had left Hermione alone. She knew that when he returned he would be, as he usually was when he came back from wherever it was he went, very grouchy. He would head right to the shower and then find Hermione so he could have his way with her.

It wasn't that Hermione minded the sex part so much, but she longed for the old times when they would sit on the couch together and talk about their dreams and hopes. Draco's favorite question was always what Hermione would do if she didn't have to work. She tried to think of a new answer every time, and was surprised to realize there were so many things she really did want to do. But it had been a long time since she and Draco had gotten to have a serious talk.

Hermione noticed other things changing around Hogwarts as well. Her classmates all seemed very tense. Like they were waiting for an explosion. She tried to reassure herself that everyone was just nervous about graduation coming up, but even the first years were grumpy. Almost every day Hermione had to break up a minor scuffle over something trivial like a dirty look.

The common room door leading to Draco's bedroom flew open with a resounding whack and Draco emerged, holding a towel around his waist. Hermione took a deep breath as he crossed the room to where she was sitting. He sat on the couch next to her and leaned in for a kiss. Hermione closed her eyes and waited to feel his lips connecting with hers.

It all happened very fast. Hermione was on her back in a few seconds, pulling up her skirt as Draco pulled her panties down. He was already hard and she was already wet. Draco wasted no time and plunged in immediately. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

Collapsing on Hermione's chest, Draco tried to catch his breath. He lay still for a few minutes, listening to the beat of Hermione's heart as it returned to a slow, steady pace. Draco shifted his weight to his arms and lifted himself up to look Hermione in the eyes.

"Next week," he said. "On the day we leave for break, have breakfast with me."

"At the Slytherin table?" Hermione asked. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I want you to sit at the Slytherin table with me and all my friends in a tremendous display of inter-house unity," he mocked. Hermione bit her lip. She hadn't been expecting such a nasty quip. "No, I have something else in mind. Just say yes."

"Okay," Hermione agreed. "We'll have breakfast." She could feel her chest tighten automatically when she thought about that day. It would probably be the last time that she and Draco were together.

"I should do my Transfiguration essay," Draco said, getting off the couch. He wrapped his towel around his waist again and headed to his room.

"Wait," Hermione protested, standing up. "That's it? You're just leaving me here?" Draco looked at her briefly and sighed.

"I'm just going to be in my room," he informed her, coming back to kiss her forehead. "I'm not leaving you."

"But you've been gone all day," Hermione reminded him. "You can't be gone all day and then come home and use me and go back to your room."

"Hermione," Draco said, not so patiently. "I have an essay to write. It's been a very long day for me. If I don't fall asleep while I'm writing, it will be a miracle."

"It's been a long day for me too," Hermione snapped. "Actually it's been a long month. You disappear constantly and when you come back you're always in a foul mood. We haven't spent more than an hour together in a very long time."

"What do you want from me, Hermione?" Draco demanded. "You want to come sit in my room while I write my essay? Fine."

"I don't want to sit in your room while you write an essay!" Hermione protested. "I just want you to act like you still care about me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Draco rolled his eyes. "You know I still care about you. Now I'm going to write my essay and if I'm still awake when I finish it, I'll come find you."

"Don't bother," Hermione retorted. She pulled the ring off of her left hand and threw it at Draco. For a few horrible seconds they just stared at each other. Hermione was shocked that the ring had actually come off her hand. Since August she hadn't been able to take it off even to wash her hands.

Draco looked at the ring on the floor and then at Hermione. She could see a strange new expression in his eyes before he grabbed the ring and left the room. Hermione burst into tears the second he was gone. She had no idea why she had acted like that. It was so unlike her that she was almost frightened. What was even more upsetting was the fact that she had been able to get the ring off. After such a long time of not being able to get it off her hand felt very strange without it.

Hermione took a deep breath and headed into her room. She went straight for her bed, pulling the covers up past her neck and curling up into a ball. Though it was almost time for dinner, Hermione let herself fall asleep rather than try to understand what was happening in her life.

Across the suite, Draco was staring at Hermione's ring which was lying on his blank parchment. He felt utterly miserable that he was hurting Hermione so much, but at the same time he felt completely powerless to stop it. All over Hogwarts Draco could see the effect the Dark Lord was having on the world. The horrible ice storm was a very obvious indication of Lord Voldemort's growing power. As he got stronger, the world grew colder. People stopped being patient with one another and their tempers grew more volatile.

Every day Draco's father demanded to know when Draco was planning to propose to Hermione. Narcissa and Blaise tried their best to keep a positive attitude and give helpful suggestions, but after tonight Draco knew that even the best ideas weren't going to be good enough. He had known that eventually she would be suspicious that he was disappearing so much but he had hoped to have a little bit more time before she confronted him about it.

Draco got up from his desk and flung himself into the armchair, studying the ring in his hand. He held it next to the one on his own hand and was surprised to see that the stone in Hermione's ring was actually glowing.

"Why is this happening?" Draco asked aloud. He heard a soft chuckle and looked up to see Lord Voldemort sitting on his bed.

"Oh, my boy, I can't fight all of your battles for you," the Dark Lord said. "Let's have the rings," he said, motioning for Draco to hand the rings over. Draco took off his own ring and handed both of them to Lord Voldemort.

"I want them back," Draco insisted.

"Well that's up to you now, isn't it?" Lord Voldemort smiled cruelly and Draco felt a chill run down his spine. "All of the paperwork is in order, all you have to do is pop the question," he said.

"I suppose," Draco sighed.

"If you don't mind me saying, perhaps you should try to patch things up a bit. You've been rather shabby as of late," Lord Voldemort mused. Draco opened his mouth to protest but found he couldn't speak. "There's nothing to deny, my boy, we all know it. Just go over and fix it."

"Yes, My Lord," Draco heard himself say. He hated to have words put in his mouth.

"Oh, wait," The Dark Lord fumbled in his robe for something. "Catch," he said, tossing Draco something small and black. Draco caught it and Lord Voldemort vanished. It was a ring box. Without looking inside, Draco shoved the box into his desk drawer. He couldn't see it, not yet. Instead, he left his room and headed down to the kitchens. Since he had missed dinner, he was willing to bet that Hermione had also.

* * *

As the days dragged on, more snow piled up outside. With the tension within the castle walls also mounting, the professors were forced to let the students outside again. Unfortunately, the regained freedom didn't seem to help alleviate the troubles.

After Draco had brought Hermione dinner in bed the night of their fight things between them had vastly improved. Draco spent most of his time at her side and never disappeared anymore. Their lovemaking was sweet and tender now, not uncomfortably rushed.

"There's someone here to see you," Draco said, coming into Hermione's room one afternoon. She gave him a quizzical look. "Um, I'll just wait here," he said, motioning for her to go on. Hermione took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hello, Hermione," a soft voice said as Hermione came into the common room. Narcissa Malfoy was sitting on one of the couches and rose to her feet as Hermione approached. "It's truly a pleasure to meet you," she said, enclosing on of Hermione hands in hers. Narcissa's delicate hands were cold. "Please, have a seat," she offered as though Hermione were the guest, not her.

Hermione sat down, somewhat in awe of Draco's mother. It wasn't the first time she'd seen Narcissa but she was captivated by her beauty nonetheless. Narcissa had the same pale complexion and piercing blue eyes as her son. Her long blonde hair was pulled back and neatly coiled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She only wore the tiniest hint of makeup – soft eye shadow on her eyelids that faded evenly as it moved up the skin toward Narcissa's perfectly arched, very slender eyebrows. A strand of pearls around her neck matched her pearl earrings. She sat, perched on the edge of the cushion, with her back completely straight but not stiff-looking. Her elegantly manicured hands rested gently in her lap.

"So, Hermione," Narcissa began. "Draco tells me you're interested in philanthropy work."

"Um, I guess so," Hermione agreed, thinking back to the conversations they'd had about what she would do if she didn't have to work. "Community service is really more of what I'd like to do if I had the time."

"Well, that's certainly admirable," Narcissa smiled. "Do you think you'll do that when you graduate?"

"Oh, no," Hermione shook her head. "I'll have to get a job." Narcissa raised her eyebrows and Hermione felt very small. She knew it had been the wrong thing to say even if it was the truth.

"What about your husband?" Narcissa inquired politely. "I'm sure he'll be employed."

"Well, yes," Hermione agreed slowly. "But I don't exactly know when I'm going to get married."

"Oh, but I imagine it won't be too long after graduation," Narcissa said warmly. Hermione just smiled. She couldn't possibly tell her boyfriend's mother that she didn't agree with their family's beliefs.

"Well, anyway, I wanted to invite you to join me in a few weeks at my philanthropy society's monthly tea. We've chosen a wonderful cause this month. All of the proceeds from the tea will be going to help disenfranchised squibs," Narcissa said proudly. "You can make a weekend of it and stay at the Manor. I'm sure Draco would be delighted to have you."

"It sounds wonderful," Hermione said. "But I'm not sure Draco will be able to see me anymore in a few weeks."

"Don't be ridiculous! He's just getting engaged, it's not the Black Plague," Narcissa scoffed. "Of course you'll come," she insisted. "Now I hate to ruin such a lovely visit, but I've got to fly." Narcissa said. She got to her feet. "It was lovely to meet you, Hermione. I can't wait for your visit," she said as she stepped into the fireplace. "Give Draco my love!" she added before disappearing.

Hermione sat on the couch for a moment, completely stunned. Why on Earth would Narcissa Malfoy be so insistent that Hermione come visit? And why would she invite her to the tea party? It just didn't make sense to Hermione. She got up and went back into her bedroom. Draco was lying on her bed, staring absently into space.

"I'm coming to visit you in a few weeks," Hermione announced as she sat on the bed next to Draco. He sat up.

"What?" he demanded.

"Your mother insists that I come to her tea party and stay for the weekend," Hermione explained. Draco buried his face in his hands.

"Why is she doing this to me?" he asked. Hermione sighed.

"You don't want me to come?" she asked. Draco looked up.

"It's not that, Hermione," he reassured her. "Of course I want you to come."

"But your fiancée might not feel the same way," Hermione said. Draco shrugged.

"It'll be fun," he decided. "There will be lots of parties to go to, I'm sure."

"Great," Hermione sighed. She knew that Draco was only being polite.

"Besides, maybe I won't be engaged yet," he added. "There's no guarantee she'll say yes."

"What?" Hermione asked. "I thought it was pretty much a done deal."

"It's not unheard of, though it is rare," Draco admitted. "She has a boyfriend now, maybe she'll turn me down."

"Oh," was all Hermione could say. She threw herself onto Draco, burying her face in his shoulder. Hot tears soaked through his shirt and he folded his arms around her. "She's a stupid, stupid girl if she would turn you down," Hermione sobbed. "She doesn't even know what she's missing."

"She's not a stupid girl," Draco said softly. He rubbed Hermione's back. "She's not stupid at all. She's the smartest, most beautiful witch at Hogwarts."

Hermione pulled back from Draco, still crying. She looked up into his blue eyes, wondering how he could be so cruel. How could he talk about another girl like that? She was hurting so badly and he wasn't even thinking about her.

"And I'm hopelessly in love with her," Draco added, studying Hermione's face. He stood up and left her sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, this is never how I expected to do this," he said, pacing a little bit. "I had it all planned out in my head, and trust me it was going be much better than this but, you know when something just feels right?" he asked. Hermione shook her head.

"It's just that this feels right to me, like this, right now. So I have to do it this way," he paused, standing directly in front of Hermione. Her eyes were full of tears and questions. And then he did something she never expected him to do: he got down on his right knee, pulled a small black velvet box out of his pocket, and opened it. "Hermione Granger, _you_ are the smartest, most beautiful witch at Hogwarts and I am hopelessly in love with you. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

The room was silent for several minutes, each one passing felt like centuries for Draco as he waited for Hermione's response. Silent tears streamed down her face as she visibly weighed her decision. He knew she was shocked by the way her breath caught in her throat and her eyes grew so wide. But he also knew that this was not a simple yes or no question for her.

"But I thought that," Hermione hesitated. "I thought that Lord Voldemort had picked someone out for you."

"He did," Draco admitted. "But he picked you."

"Why me?" Hermione asked, sinking onto the floor in front of Draco. He sat down. "Why me?"

"He liked what he saw in Dumbledore's game last year. He thinks that you and I are good together, and I have to agree with him," Draco explained. "But I probably think that for different reasons," he smirked. Hermione nodded, taking a slow deep breath.

"Alright," she agreed. "I will marry you, but only if you can make me some promises."

"Like what?" Draco asked.

"No more keeping secrets that directly impact me," she said. "And you have to treat me like you really care about me, not like I'm someone you got out of a catalog," she added, thinking of Blaise and Daphne.

"I can do that," Draco agreed. Hermione broke out into a huge smile.

"Then, yes, Draco, I will marry you," she said. Draco smiled back at her and took the ring out of the box. He slid it onto Hermione's left ring finger. She admired it happily. "I can't believe it," she said finally.

"Me neither," Draco said. "This summer when my father first told me I was sure you would refuse."

"Is that why you broke up with me?" Hermione asked. Draco nodded.

"I hoped maybe they would see that you wouldn't be interested in our lifestyle and change their minds. But all I managed to do was hurt you needlessly and make Lord Voldemort angry," he sighed. "He gave me more time, because he knew you had reservations."

"I still have reservations," Hermione admitted. "I can't lie, Draco, I'm scared that this is a big mistake, but I feel like it's a mistake that I can make with you."

"Well, I hope that I can show you it's all going to be fine," Draco said. He rose to his feet and extended a hand to help Hermione to her feet. "Now who's parents should we tell first?" he asked. Hermione giggled and followed him into their common room.

"Yours, definitely," she insisted as Draco headed straight for the fireplace. "We can wait a while to tell my mother, I'm not looking forward to dealing with her after she knows."

"Alright then," Draco agreed. "Malfoy Manor it is," he said, stepping into the fireplace.

When Hermione arrived at Malfoy Manor she remembered the room instantly as the place she had first met Lord Voldemort. It was a stuffy old sitting room with heavy red velvet drapes and wood paneling on the walls. There was a thick red carpet on the floor and the stench of cigar smoke lingered in the air.

Draco was waiting for her and helped her to get all of the soot off her face before he took her hand and led her out of the room. They walked down the hallway to another sitting room, this one decorated in blue. Narcissa was lounging on the overstuffed couch with her hair down and soft music playing in the background. Lucius appeared behind her suddenly and handed her a glass of red wine as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Ahem," Draco cleared his throat. Lucius and Narcissa looked up, shocked at the interruption.

"Draco!" Narcissa cried. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Mother," Draco said. He led Hermione closer to where Narcissa was sitting. "Hermione and I just wanted to tell you that we're engaged," he said, holding Hermione's hand out to show his parents. Narcissa gasped and clasped a hand to her chest. Lucius smiled.

"Congratulations," he said. "And isn't that a lovely ring, Cissy?"

"It's beautiful," Narcissa agreed, rising to her feet. She gave Hermione a gentle hug. "Welcome to the family, my dear," she said warmly, cupping Hermione's cheek.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled.

"Why don't you two have a seat," Lucius suggested. "I'll get some more wine."

"We can't stay," Draco insisted. "We're not really supposed to be here, but we had to share the good news."

"Oh, alright," Narcissa sighed. "But please, come back soon when you can stay longer, maybe for the weekend."

"I'll be home next week," Draco reminded her. "And Hermione will be coming soon after that."

"I know," Narcissa agreed. "I'm just so happy for you."

"I am too," Lucius added. "I'm proud of you, Draco," he said. Hermione could tell from the way Draco gripped her hand that this wasn't something he heard very often from his father. They said their goodbyes and left the room.

* * *

Hermione and Draco stood on Platform 9 ¾ waiting for Hermione's parents to show up. She had written to them to request that they both meet her there when she came home for Christmas break. The train had arrived almost twenty minutes earlier and Hermione was hoping that they hadn't forgotten about her.

"Oh, Hermione, you will never believe the awful traffic getting here," Hermione's mother said as she approached. Hermione took a deep breath and held onto Draco's hand.

"Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you," she said, looking very seriously at both her parents.

"Oh god, you're not pregnant are you?" her mother demanded instantly. "Because that is the absolute last thing I need right now."

"No, Mom, I'm not pregnant," Hermione sighed. She looked at Draco helplessly and he nodded for her to go on. "Draco and I are engaged," she said. Her mother's jaw dropped and her father just stiffened.

"You can't be serious," her mother said finally. Hermione held out her hand to show them the ring. "Oh my word, look at that ring," she breathed. "Do you see her ring?" she demanded, turning to her husband.

"You are far too young for this, Hermione," was all her father said before he took off with her bags. Hermione sighed.

"I'll see you in a week," she said, turning to kiss Draco goodbye.

"In a week?" her mother asked. "I thought you were coming home for two weeks?"

"I'm going to visit Draco for the weekend. His parents are throwing us an engagement party," Hermione said. Her mother raised her eyebrows.

"We have to talk about this, Hermione," she said. Hermione bit her tongue.

"I have to go," she said to Draco. He kissed her again and Hermione followed her mother out to the car.


	7. The DeathEater Wives Club

Chapter Seven

Hermione sat in complete silence on the car ride home. She stared out the back window not really seeing anything as they passed. Her father drove, giving her the occasional stern glare in the rearview mirror.

Hermione did her best to ignore her father's glances. She had expected some hesitation on her parent's part but never resistance of this caliber. Her father seemed downright angry with her. Her mother was upset as well, which made Hermione a bit mad. Hadn't her mother been pushing her to get more serious with Draco? Why was she upset now that Hermione had taken her advice? It didn't seem fair.

When they arrived at the house her father carried her bags in without a word. Hermione followed her parents into the kitchen where they all stopped and looked at each other for a few silent moments.

"Well, let's hear it," her father said. "I'm sure you have an explanation for this."

"In the Wizarding world this is a perfectly acceptable and natural part of life," Hermione began. "I know it seems like we're very young, but Draco and I really are in love. His parents have already given us their blessing."

"Of course they have," her father snapped. "They're not the ones who'll have to pick up the pieces when this doesn't work out."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione demanded. "Why are you so sure this won't work out?"

"Herrmione, you are seventeen years old. You have absolutely no idea what marriage is like. You're barely old enough to take care of yourself let alone manage a household," her father pointed out. "And I don't particularly care if this is a perfectly acceptable practice in the Wizarding world, you live in this world and it would do you well to remember that."

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked. "For the past seven years of my life I've spent the majority of my time in the Wizarding world, preparing to live the rest of my life in the Wizarding world. You can't just erase that from me."

Her father was completely silent. He gave Hermione a disappointed look and walked out of the room. Hermione turned helplessly to her mother.

"He's having a hard time with the idea of you living in the Wizarding world for the rest of your life. For the past seven years we've given our daughter away to complete strangers to live in a world we barely know anything about. We know that's where you belong and we've always tried to do what's best for you, but it's very hard on us as parents to let you go. Now that you're going to graduate it's become even harder." Hermione's mother sighed. "And with this engagement nonsense, it's just too much."

"Engagement nonsense?" Hermione repeated, incredulous. "Mom, weren't you walking around the house all summer telling me that Draco could be the one?"

"Well, Hermione, I didn't expect it to happen right away, I thought you had more sense than that!" her mother replied. "I thought you would go off to college and maybe in a few years you'd decide to get married."

"Mom, there is no Wizarding college," Hermione sighed. "This is how they do it. They get married right out of Hogwarts. Every one of my friends besides Harry is engaged too. It's not a big deal."

"I am not hearing this," Hermione's mother shook her head. "Go to your room, we'll talk more about this later."

"Fine," Hermione snapped. She took her bags and headed up to her room. This reaction was absolutely absurd. Even her friends hadn't reacted like this and she had anticipated a horrible reaction from them.

After visiting Malfoy Manor, Hermione had gone immediately to Gryffindor tower where she found Ron and Harry playing a game of Wizard's chess while Ginny was talking with some sixth year girls. She had herded them all into a semi-quiet corner.

"I have to tell you something and you might be upset," she prefaced her announcement. Ginny's eyes grew wide.

"You're engaged!" she shrieked, grabbing Hermione's left hand to look at the ring which had caught her eye almost immediately.

"Oh, congratulations, Hermione," Harry said as Ginny gave Hermione a big hug. Ron glared at the ring.

"He would pick the biggest stone in the world," he scoffed. Harry nudged him. "Sorry, Hermione, congratulations," he said.

"Thank you," Hermione said, her cheeks a pale pink.

"So, Lucius Malfoy picked you?" Harry mused. Hermione shrugged.

"I guess so," she said uncomfortably.

"It doesn't matter," Ron dismissed. "As long as our Hermione is happy, that's what matters."

"Exactly," Ginny agreed.

Hermione smiled at the memory. She had the best friends a girl could ask for. Naturally the rest of Hogwarts was thrilled with the news too, especially Daphne who only wanted to talk about wedding plans. Even Professor Snape had been unusually friendly.

"I expect an invitation to the wedding, Miss Granger," he said in potions class, taking Hermione's hand to examine the ring. His hands felt rough and leathery.

"Of course," Hermione murmured uncomfortably.

"I have a bit of a sweet tooth, you see, and wedding cake is one of my favorites," he added. Hermione didn't know what to say, so she just gave him a weak smile.

"We'll be sure you save you some," Draco had said, taking Hermione's hand away from Snape. Professor Snape glared at him, but for a second Hermione thought she could see a twinkle in the old man's eye.

"Dinner," Hermione's father grunted on the other side of her bedroom door, tearing Hermione from her memories. She sighed and headed downstairs where her mother was setting a freshly baked lasagna on the table. Hermione's favorite. She took her usual seat at the table and passed her mother her plate so she could put some lasagna on it.

Hermione's mother handed the full plate back to Hermione who reached for it with her left hand. Her mother caught sight of the ring again and set the plate down abruptly. Hermione glared at her and picked it up.

They spent the meal in total silence, which suited Hermione just fine. It was better than having to defend herself constantly. She skipped dessert, which was chocolate cake, and went back to her bedroom. It seemed as though she would be spending a lot of time there this break.

* * *

Fortunately, the week went by quickly and before Hermione knew it she was stepping out of a chauffeured car at the front steps of Malfoy Manor. No sooner had both of her feet touched the ground than Draco came rushing out the front doors and swept Hermione up into an enormous hug. He spun her around twice before setting her down again.

"I can't believe how much I've missed you this last week," he said. Hermione smiled and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"I've missed you too," she said, happily allowing him to put one arm around her waist. "You have no idea how happy I am to be here," she sighed contentedly.

"We're delighted to have you, Miss Granger," Lucius Malfoy's familiar voice rang out. Hermione turned to see him standing in the front door next to Narcissa. Though she hadn't thought it possible, her smile got wider. It felt nice to be so welcomed, a sharp contrast from the battleground she had been living in for the past week.

"Please, call me Hermione," she said as Draco led her into the house.

"Hermione it is," Lucius repeated, giving his wife an amused look. "We'll let Draco help you settle in, but please don't let him distract you too long, my wife has planned an exhaustingly long list of activities for your weekend as I believe we're scheduled to go over them in about an hour."

"I know, I know," Draco waved his parents away and guided Hermione up the grand marble staircase. "You'll be staying in my room," he said proudly, showing her to a set of heavy walnut doors.

"Is that really appropriate?" Hermione asked. Draco held one of the doors open for her.

"We're engaged, aren't we?" he replied. "It's fine," he insisted. "I couldn't bear to think of you all the way across the hall in one of the guest rooms."

"Oh, yes, what an injustice that would be," Hermione rolled her eyes. Draco pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you're here," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. Hermione smiled, allowing herself to relax against him. She gazed up at him, wondering how she had managed to survive the past six days without him. Draco leaned in to kiss her and Hermione closed her eyes, relishing the sensation of his lips against hers.

Without much warning at all, the tender kiss turned into a passionate embrace. Exerting little effort, Draco lifted Hermione off the floor and carried her to his bed where he crawled on all fours over her, kissing every inch of her neck and face. Off came their clothes and underclothes until there was just skin against skin.

Hermione's back arched as Draco buried his face between her legs. Her soft pink nipples pointed upwards and her breath came in little pants as his tongue moved in little circles around her clit. She came quickly, eyes rolling upwards and every muscle shuddering. It wasn't enough. She needed more. She needed him.

Pushing Draco off her, Hermione sat up and forced him to lie down. She straddled him, slowly easing herself down, taking in one inch at a time. It was delicious torture for both of them, both wanting so badly to just go wild. At last Hermione felt all of Draco inside her and she let out a deep moan. Then, she held on for dear life.

* * *

When the final throes of orgasm had subsided, Hermione collapsed at Draco's side. He wrapped his arm around her sleepily, wishing they could spend the entire weekend in bed together.

"We mustn't fall asleep," he insisted, yawning heavily. "My mother has plans."

"So I hear," Hermione smiled, absently dragging one finger along Draco's chest. "We should probably get out of bed."

"Yes, in a minute," he agreed, pulling her closer. Hermione laughed and threw the covers off. She collected her clothing and dressed quickly.

* * *

"We'll announce your engagement formally at tonight's party," Narcissa was explaining. A pair of reading glasses adorned her narrow nose. The elegant silver frames matched her pinstriped pantsuit.

"Tomorrow afternoon is the philanthropy tea so I thought we could spend the morning making arrangements for the wedding. You'd be surprised at how quickly these things sneak up on you. There's just so much to do and I want your input on as much of it as possible, Hermione," Narcissa smiled briefly. "We'll have a late dinner that night with some family friends and then you'll be leaving in the morning," she finished. Hermione felt as though she should have taken notes.

"I took the liberty of having some outfits sent over for you. A dress for tonight, and one for dinner tomorrow, as well as two outfits for tomorrow during the day. Draco helped with sizes so be sure to see that they fit properly. I hope you don't mind, I just wanted to be sure you would have something suitable to wear," Narcissa added.

Hermione looked down at her sweater and jeans. She hadn't been worried about her clothes because Pansy had helped her pick out her outfits for the weekend but now she supposed it didn't matter. It was the first time she'd felt like Draco's parents thought she wasn't good enough for Draco.

* * *

"Is Miss needing any help with her dress?" a small house-elf by the name of Mindy peered anxiously up at Hermione. Mindy had been, despite Hermione's numerous protests, assigned as Hermione's personal assistant for the duration of her visit. "Mindy likes the dress very much."

"Thank you, Mindy, I can dress myself perfectly fine," Hermione insisted. The little elf looked crestfallen so Hermione motioned for her to stay. "You can watch if you like," she offered. That seemed to cheer the elf up a little bit.

"Mindy hopes that Miss will trust Mindy to help," the house-elf said, taking a seat as Hermione slid a pale pink ball gown over her head. The full tulle skirt stood out stiffly, making it difficult for Hermione to sit down.

"I trust you, Mindy," Hermione insisted. "I just don't see why I should trouble you if I can do these things perfectly fine on my own."

"Trouble Mindy?" the house-elf suddenly became distraught. "Miss is no trouble to Mindy at all."

"Oh, Hermione, let it go," Draco counseled, breezing through the door in jet black dress robes. "You've insulted her."

"How have I insulted her?" Hermione demanded. "And you shouldn't be in here, I'm trying to get ready."

"Well, the guests have started arriving and my mother would very much like for you to join her," Draco informed Hermione. "And by forbidding the house-elf to do anything for you whatsoever is an insult to her abilities. She thinks you don't trust her."

"Alright, Alright," Hermione conceded. "Let me just do my makeup and I'll be down."

"Try to make a mess. Give Mindy something to do," Draco advised before he left the room. "I'll meet you outside the ballroom."

Hermione sighed and made sure to spill a little bit of her powder on the vanity. She headed down the stairs and made her way to where she remembered the ballroom being. The decorations helped, of course. Tall white flower arrangements situated in pillars of ice lined the hallway and small fairy lights floated overhead. A white runner had been laid over the stone floor marking the path to the ballroom. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Hermione started to let herself into the ballroom.

"Wait!" Draco grabbed her arm suddenly and pulled her away from the door. Hermione rubbed her arm where he had grabbed her. "You must absolutely never walk into a party like this without being announced first."

Hermione felt her stomach turn over. She had seen this happen before in movies and understood that every eye in the room would be on them as they came in. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined that she would have to make an entrance like that.

"It's alright," Draco assured her. "Just hold my arm and smile," he instructed, holding his arm out for Hermione. She took it and took a deep breath. Draco knocked on the door lightly and a house-elf came out. "Draco Malfoy and his fiancée Hermione Granger," he said to the elf. The elf nodded and went back into the ballroom.

A few seconds later both doors opened giving Hermione her first full view of the ballroom. It was decorated completely with white fabric, more towering white floral arrangements, and more ice. The result was absolutely breathtaking. Draco led Hermione into the room, confidently. She forced herself to smile as everyone turned to look. From somewhere she couldn't see, a voice repeated what Draco had said to the house-elf earlier.

"Presenting Master Draco Malfoy and his fiancée Miss Hermione Granger," the voice called. The guests gasped in unison and broke into thunderous applause. Apparently this news was unexpected. Draco led Hermione down the stairs and straight to where Narcissa and Lucius were waiting with identical smiles on their faces.

"You look wonderful, both of you," Narcissa approved, giving them the once-over. "Hermione please come with me, there are a few people I would like for you to meet."

* * *

The night dragged on for Hermione as Narcissa insisted on introducing her to every single guest. Hermione forgot most of their names as she was introduced to each new guest. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief when at last Narcissa guided her over to Blaise Zabini and his parents.

"Hermione, you look wonderful tonight," Blaise complimented. "I don't suppose I could steal you for a few minutes?" he asked Narcissa, rather than Hermione who the question was directed at.

"Just a few minutes," Narcissa permitted. "I have a few people I would like to introduce Hermione to."

"We'll be quick," Blaise insisted, leading Hermione away from Narcissa. "I thought you could use a break."

"Thank you," Hermione said gratefully. "I've met everyone in the wizarding world tonight," she lamented.

"Oh this is nothing. Consider this an intimate gathering," Blaise informed her. He handed her a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter's tray and guided her a little farther away from the other guests.

"Where's Daphne tonight?" Hermione asked, realizing that she hadn't endured one squeal of wedding planning all night.

"Oh she's around here somewhere," Blaise shrugged. "Listen, Hermione, I wanted to talk to you before things got too hectic with the wedding plans and whatever else Narcissa has in store for you this weekend."

"Um, sure," Hermione smiled. She couldn't imagine what Blaise felt was so important. He started walking and Hermione followed.

"It's just that I know you're not really prepared for life in our world," Blaise began. "By that I mean the pureblood high society world, not just the wizarding world. It's very different, I think you'll find, than the world you've encountered on your visits with Ron's family. And completely different to have to live in it all the time rather than just visiting like you've done in the past."

Blaise and Hermione were now just outside the ballroom on the terrace. Hermione noticed right away that the temperature hadn't changed as they left the ballroom and wondered what sort of enchantments were in place.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know it's not going to be easy for you. It will probably be overwhelming and very frustrating. I just want you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you," Blaise finished, touching Hermione's arm ever so gently.

"Hermione!" Narcissa's voice hissed across the terrace. Hermione turned around and realized that she and Blaise were all alone outside. Narcissa motioned frantically for Hermione to come back inside. Hermione gave Blaise a quick smile and headed in. Narcissa grabbed Hermione's arm as soon as she was within reach.

"Ow," Hermione was surprised to feel how painful Narcissa's grip was.

"We will discuss this later, Hermione, but for the rest of the evening please kindly refrain from leaving the room with any men who are not your fiancé or father in law," Narcissa spat under her breath as they returned to the ballroom. Even Narcissa's powder blue evening gown seemed to swish angrily as they walked. Hermione reeled. How could an innocent moment be taken so out of context?

Narcissa didn't let go of Hermione's arm until they reached Draco's side. Draco extended his arm to Hermione immediately and if Hermione hadn't wrenched her arm away from Narcissa and placed it securely in Draco's she was sure Narcissa would have done it for her.

"There," Narcissa pronounced. "Now if you two will come with me I have just a few more people I would like for Hermione to meet."

Draco gave Hermione a reassuring squeeze and followed his mother. Hermione wasn't exactly sure what it meant that Draco held fast to her arm for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Personally, I've always preferred lilies for a spring wedding, what do you think, Hermione?" Hermione barely heard Narcissa's question the next morning. The wedding planner was showing Hermione picture after picture of floral arrangements. Hermione had lost her concentration after the first fifty or so pictures she had looked at. After so many examples they all started to look the same to her.

"Hermione?" Narcissa asked again. Hermione tried to focus.

"Lilies are nice," Hermione agreed. Narcissa looked at her sharply and Hermione's breath caught in her throat. Had she given the wrong answer? "I just mean," Hermione struggled to think of something to remedy the situation. To her utmost surprise, Narcissa smiled.

"Oh, Hermione, I should have known any woman who could capture my son's heart as you have wouldn't settle for something as common as a lily," she laughed. "You're so right. Show us something rare," she directed the wedding planner, who smiled and rifled through her portfolio.

"I know just the thing," she promised, turning to a picture of a strange black flower Hermione had never seen before. As soon as she saw it, Hermione knew it was perfect. "It's called a Tacca," the planner said.

"A bat flower," Narcissa said, smiling approvingly. "That's exquisite."

"I think with some black orchids and tulips it will be lovely," the planner suggested. Narcissa looked briefly at Hermione for her approval and got it almost instantly.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Narcissa said happily. Hermione glanced at the clock. They had only been looking at flowers for three hours and that was after Narcissa had already "pre-selected" the best arrangements to show Hermione a few days prior. At this rate it would take years to plan the entire wedding.

"Let's talk colors," the wedding planner suggested. Narcissa agreed. "Mrs. Malfoy and I have already discussed red and black."

"No," Hermione said immediately. Narcissa looked taken aback. "Daphne and Blaise are having red and black."

"Good to know," Narcissa said gravely. "We need to get these finalized today then so no one ends up with our colors." Hermione laughed and was immediately greeted by glances of shock.

"You don't want someone stealing your wedding colors," the wedding planner insisted. Hermione raised her eyebrows. They were very serious about this.

"How will I be able to prevent that?" Hermione asked. "Last time I checked colors were pretty much free domain."

"Because once we finalize the colors for your wedding it will go in the official registry. Any other bride who shows up after you will know immediately that she has to change or risk looking like she's copying your ideas," Narcissa explained patiently.

"So all of the details about my wedding will already be written down somewhere?" Hermione asked, slightly scandalized. Why bother showing up if you already knew what kind of cake there would be?

"Not all the details, of course, just the colors and location," the wedding planner reassured her. "You'll have custom designed dresses and catering so there's no need to worry you'll end up with the same dress or menu as someone else."

"Oh," was all Hermione could think to say. Blaise had been right. There was far more to all this than she had ever imagined.

"Okay, so black and emerald," the wedding planner wrote down.

"Midnight black," Narcissa corrected. Hermione raised her eyebrows again. "That's important. If someone wants Jet black and Kelly green, they're welcome to it."

"Even though it's basically the same thing?" Hermione asked. Narcissa and the wedding planner exchanged glances.

"I think it's time you and I started to get ready for our tea," Narcissa sighed. "I can explain the subtleties of color another day."

"Just let me get your measurements," the wedding planner said, jumping to her feet. "So I can get to work on the dress."

"The dress?" Hermione was hesitant.

"You'll get to approve everything, don't worry," Narcissa assured her. "I'll be sure to send you the sketches as soon as they're finished. Now run upstairs and get changed, we have to leave in thirty minutes."

* * *

"So the most important thing to remember, Hermione," Narcissa said as they got out of the car outside a very formal mansion. The driver shut the door behind Hermione. "Do not say a word unless someone asks you a direct question."

"Alright," Hermione agreed. She smoothed her soft pink tea dress and followed Narcissa into the building. A sign in the lobby announced that the Northampton Ladies Society would be meeting in Room A. Narcissa glided confidently along the plush carpet, Hermione following right behind.

"Bellatrix, how good to see you," Narcissa cooed softly, giving her sister air kisses on each cheek as they entered the room. "You haven't gotten to meet Draco's fiancée yet, have you?"

Bellatrix gave Hermione a tight-lipped smile and quickly pulled Narcissa out of Hermione's hearing range. Hermione pretended to be studying the room, but instead she observed the hushed conversation between Narcissa and Bellatrix. If there was one thing she would never get used to it was being in such close quarters with known Death Eaters and not immediately calling for help. As it was, Bellatrix looked incredible out of place among the other women in their pastel-colored tea dresses. Though Christmas was right around the corner, the room reminded Hermione more of Easter than anything. Bellatrix was wearing a deep plum colored dress, still in the same a-line style as everyone else's, but the pale pallor of her cheeks and dramatic eye makeup made her stand out. Her long black hair had been smoothed into a neat bun at the nape of her neck, identical to Narcissa's blonde one. When the two women were standing next to each other, Hermione could see the family resemblance.

After a few more minutes where Hermione was left to stand awkwardly by herself, Narcissa and Hermione took seats at one of the many round tables in the room. Hermione was relieved when Bellatrix took a seat at a different table, but her reprise was short lived when Daphne Greengrass and her mother approached.

"Narcissa, mind if we join you?" Daphne's mother asked. Narcissa smiled graciously and motioned for the women to sit down.

"I love that shade of lavender on you, Elladora," Narcissa complimented. Daphne's mother smiled.

"Why thank you, Narcissa," Elladora replied. She gave Hermione a brief once-over and turned her attention immediately back to Narcissa.

"Have you met my son's fiancée, Hermione Granger?" Narcissa asked.

"Daphne has told me _all_ about Hermione," Elladora said. "Has the wedding date been chosen yet?"

"Yes, it will be June 24h," Narcissa said casually. Elladora and Daphne both turned identical shades of white. Hermione gave Narcissa a questioning look but got no answer.

"Well, isn't that exciting?" Elladora remarked. She took a sip of water. "Daphne's wedding is the 30th."

"I got my save the date card," Narcissa smiled and gazed around the room. Hermione tried to make eye contact with Daphne, but for some reason Daphne wouldn't look Hermione in the face.

"Oh, there's Lucienne," Elladora said, waving at one of the women who had just walked in. A slender woman with dark coloring acknowledged Elladora's wave and made her way over to sit at the table.

"Lucienne, what a pleasure to see you again," Narcissa's voice changed tenor. Hermione could tell immediately she wasn't sincere in the least but she had no idea who this woman was or why Narcissa disliked her.

"Narcissa has just told us that Draco's wedding will be on June 24th," Elladora said immediately. Lucienne raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

"This is Draco's fiancée, Hermione Granger," Narcissa said. Lucienne gazed briefly over the top of Hermione's head, not really seeing her at all. Hermione bit her lip. Why were these women being so nasty to her?

"Excuse me," Daphne said suddenly, getting to her feet. She hurried toward the door where Pansy Parkinson and her mother had just walked in. Hermione watched as Daphne grabbed Pansy by the wrist and the two girls left the room. Mrs. Parkinson made her way over to where Narcissa and Hermione were sitting.

"Good Afternoon ladies, so sorry we're running late today. I promise we'll get started in just a minute," she said. The ladies smiled back at her as she headed towards the front of the room where she took a seat at the presenters table.

"Oh no," Elladora said, her eyes toward the door. "Look who just walked in."

"Oh dear," Narcissa commented. She grabbed Hermione's handbag and set it in one of the two empty chairs. Hermione turned to see who everyone was talking about and saw Millicent Bullstrode and her mother heading straight for their table.

"Hellooooo," Millicent's mother said as she got closer. Hermione could see a striking family resemblance.

"Ursula, how are you?" Narcissa asked, using the same syrupy tone she had used for Lucienne.

"We are just fabulous today," Ursula replied. "Can we join you?"

"Gosh, so sorry. We've just got one empty seat left," Elladora apologized, gesturing to Hermione's purse.

"Oh how sad," Ursula looked crestfallen. "We'll just find another place to sit."

"Maybe next time," Narcissa smiled. Ursula and Millicent walked around the room until they finally had to settle on seats at an empty table. Hermione felt a little bit sorry for Millicent who looked so clearly uncomfortable in her tea dress.

"Excuse me," Hermione said, getting to her feet. She had too many questions to wait any longer. Grabbing her purse, Hermione headed straight to the bathroom where she knew she could find Pansy and Daphne.

"Come on, Daphne, it'll all be fine in the end," Pansy was saying through one of the bathroom stalls when Hermione came into the room.

"You know, I never thought I'd say this, but I think I really hate her," Daphne's voice was tight. It was obvious she was crying.

"You shouldn't hate her for this, she probably doesn't even know what's going on," Pansy rationalized. Hermione took a few steps closer and Pansy finally saw her. "Oh, hey Hermione," she said loudly. Hermione felt a knot form in her stomach. Daphne had been referring to _her_.

"Hey, Pansy," Hermione tried to sound casual. "I was hoping I could talk to you but I guess you're a little busy."

"Slightly," Daphne's strangled voice came from the other side of the bathroom stall. "You'll just have to wait your turn for a change," she added, softer.

"Excuse me," Hermione said, and turned to leave. Pansy caught her arm.

"Later," she mouthed. Hermione nodded and left the bathroom. Grudgingly, she found her seat again and waited for the program to begin.

Try as she might, Hermione could not stay focused on the topic for this month's discussion which was "Disenfranchised Squibs: Helping those who Cannot Help Themselves." Though it had sounded interesting when Hermione agreed to come along, the events of the past hour had taken all her attention. Why did Daphne suddenly hate her? And why wouldn't anyone look Hermione in the eye?

Once all of the tea and sweets were gone, Hermione waited anxiously for Narcissa to get up. It felt to Hermione like it took ages, but Elladora and Daphne finally got to their feet. The rest of the women seemed to take this as a sign and got to their feet as well.

"Well, Narcissa it's always a pleasure," Elladora said, giving air kisses to Narcissa before she and Daphne left.

"I will see you tonight," Lucienne said, also giving air kisses to Narcissa. Hermione watched as Narcissa's eyes narrowed but her smile widened.

"Oh good," she said in her syrupy voice. "Hors d'oeuvres are at 6."

"Hermione," Pansy was behind her. Hermione turned around expectantly but Pansy just smiled. "It was good to see you," she said, placing her hands on Hermione's forearms. She elegantly leaned in and touched her cheek to Hermione's briefly then repeated the gesture on the other side. Hermione was astounded.

"Wait," she said. Pansy shook her head.

"Later," she said, rushing to catch up with her mother.

"Hermione," Narcissa said, letting Hermione know that she was ready to leave. Hermione sighed and followed Narcissa out the door. It took them approximately thirty minutes to leave the room because Narcissa had to keep stopping to talk to everyone. It was the same every time. Narcissa would introduce Hermione, but no one would even look at her. She didn't understand at all.

"Well, that was nice, wasn't it?" Narcissa asked once they were back in the car.

"Yes, it was," Hermione agreed. She didn't bother trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Do you think that's something you would be interested in doing?" Narcissa prompted. Hermione took a deep breath, wanting to phrase her answer just right.

"I might," she said finally. "I guess I'd like to try some other activities too."

"Of course," Narcissa agreed. She quickly launched into descriptions of other groups Hermione might try, but Hermione wasn't listening. Was this what her future as Draco's wife would be like? Being driven around in a fancy car, going to parties where no one spoke to or looked at her. Hermione was starting to think she was in over her head.

"I hope you're excited about tonight," Narcissa said suddenly. "I've picked out some fun dishes for the party."

"Party?" Hermione asked. Narcissa gave her a look.

"We're having a dinner party tonight," Narcissa reminded her. "I told you this."

"Yes, that's right," Hermione agreed. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Narcissa said gently. "You're probably tired. It's been a pretty taxing day."

"A little," Hermione said, wishing she could be honest with Narcissa.

"Well, you'll have a little while to rest before the party," Narcissa said. "Oh, and before you leave tomorrow we're going to meet with the designer who's going to be doing your wedding dress. He's absolutely brilliant, I promise, you'll just love him."

"Great," Hermione said, staring out the window. She wasn't ready to think about her wedding dress just yet.

* * *

"Miss got a letter today," Mindy said after Hermione had changed into a pair of sweatpants. Hermione took the letter and was immediately cheered.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Ginny and Ron passed on your good news. Congratulations dear! I'm very happy for you. I hope you have a very Happy Christmas and that you'll have time to come and visit before your wedding. Please let me know if I can be of any help. Good luck with your classes and have a safe rest of the school year._

_Much love,_

_Mrs. Weasley_

Hermione could feel her eyes welling up with tears. Of course Mrs. Weasley would understand more than her own mother. It just wasn't fair. Why couldn't she be engaged to anyone in the normal wizarding world where people were kind and friendly? Hermione folded the letter and set it on the table. She stretched out on Draco's bed and closed her eyes.

* * *

"Do you ride horses, Hermione?" Lucius asked at breakfast the next morning. He took a sip of his coffee.

"No, not at all," Hermione said, shaking her head. Lucius smiled.

"Then it's good you're a fast learner," he said. "Draco is taking you on a very exciting outing this morning."

"An outing?" Hermione asked, turning her head to look at Draco. Draco nodded.

"As soon as we finish eating," Narcissa put in as though she were reminding everyone.

Regardless, Hermione found she could hardly eat. Lucius and Draco kept exchanging excited looks. Even Narcissa seemed barely able to act like herself. Hermione was grateful when Lucius summoned a House Elf to prepare the horse-drawn carriage and have the breakfast dishes cleared.

"Miss will be wanting these," Mindy hoisted a thick set of furs into the carriage. Hermione thanked the elf and snuggled under the furs. To her great astonishment, Draco crawled into the driver's seat.

"Just trust me," he insisted. Hermione raised her eyebrows but smiled widely. Draco gently urged the horses into motion and they were off.

In no time at all, Malfoy Manor vanished from sight. The carriage was surrounded by miles of empty moorland, making the trip a very bumpy one. A dense fog pervaded the land and made Hermione glad for the thoughtful Mindy who had brought her the furs.

"Here we are," Draco said at last, stopping the carriage. He turned to look at Hermione. "What do you think?" he asked. Hermione looked around.

"Where are we?" she asked. Draco grinned and got down from his seat. He helped Hermione out of the carriage.

"This, my dear, is the future site of the new Malfoy Manor," he announced proudly. Hermione looked out at the thick fog that obscured everything that wasn't within five feet of her. She smiled weakly. Draco laughed. "Give it some time to grow on you. I promise this is the right place." He took Hermione's hand and they walked slowly through the fog. As they walked, Hermione noticed the fog was beginning to dissipate.

"Close your eyes," Draco insisted. Hermione did. She waited what seemed like ages to hear Draco say, "Okay, open them now!"

Bright sunlight was streaming through the clouds overhead. Emerald green grass lay all around them. The most beautiful part was the cliff and the view of several large islands in the distant water below.

"Oh, Draco, it's fabulous," Hermione breathed at last. "It's absolutely perfect."

"I told you this was the right place," Draco said happily, wrapping his arms around her. Hermione leaned her head back so that it was resting against his chest. If only every moment of her life could be as perfect and right as this one. It was the first time since she had first arrived at Malfoy Manor that she truly believed she was making the right decision by marrying Draco.

"Come on," Draco said, tearing her from her thoughts. "We have to get you back in time to meet with the dress designer," he reminded her. Hermione sighed heavily and permitted him to tuck her back into the carriage.

The trip back was more pleasant than the trip out had been, but this was because the fog had cleared and Hermione could see the miles and miles of empty green land all around her. It didn't seem to take nearly as long to get back as it had to get out there. Hermione could feel her heart sinking as they approached the existing Malfoy Manor.

Draco helped her down from the carriage and gave her a quick kiss before ushering her inside. Hermione approached the drawing room with a sense of dread. As much as she hated it here, she certainly didn't want to go back home.

"Oh, bravo!" a male voice shouted as Hermione walked in the room. She froze in her tracks as the man she assumed had to be the designer approached her with his arms wide open. "You are just fantastic," he proclaimed.

"Hermione, this is Christophe. He'll be designing your wedding dress," Narcissa said from her place on the sofa. Hermione smiled weakly at Christophe who was busy circling her and making notes on his note pad.

"I am thinking something spectacular," he said. "Something ultra-modern, and very flashy."

"Not flashy," Narcissa said calmly. "Something sophisticated," she said, rising from her seat to stand next to Christophe. They both looked at Hermione with appraising eyes.

"I am seeing something sleek and form-fitting. Very sexy," he insisted.

"Not too sexy," Narcissa countered. "But what if we had some beadwork? Maybe some pearls and lace?"

"Lace," Christophe repeated, scribbling furiously. "What about a train? How long? I think very long."

"Yes, a long train," Narcissa agreed. "What color?"

"Pink," Christophe said.

"Pale pink?" Narcissa asked.

"No," Hermione said loudly. Narcissa and Christophe both stared. "I want my dress to be white," she said. "Not pink. Not flashy. Not sexy."

"Not sexy?" Christophe repeated.

"No," Hermione said. "Not sexy. And I don't want it to be form-fitting. Maybe just at the top, but I want a full skirt. And a short train. No beads. No lace. Just plain."

"Plain?" Christophe said the word as though it were an Unforgivable Curse.

"Plain," Hermione repeated. "Very simple, very elegant. Nothing over the top."

"But Hermione, you could have something to add interest," Narcissa suggested.

"Yes, you are the new Dark Princess," Christophe said, half-jokingly.

"Stop that," Narcissa glared at him.

"But this wedding is important," Christophe whined. "Surely you do not want to look so blah."

"Not blah," Hermione sighed. "Just simple. I don't want it to be fussy."

"But fussy is so fun!" Christophe exclaimed. Hermione shook her head resolutely. "I cannot work with this girl."

"Hermione, please, sit down," Narcissa said. "Christophe, I'll walk you out," she offered, leading him from the room.

She returned a few minutes later and sat down on the sofa next to Hermione. Narcissa took one of the teacups that was sitting on the coffee table and offered it to Hermione. Hermione accepted it and Narcissa picked up another one.

"He's going to work on some sketches and send them to you for your approval. You'll be able to make your comments and suggestions and send them back. We won't do anything without your permission," Narcissa said.

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly. Narcissa set her powder blue teacup back in the matching saucer. She looked sharply at Hermione and set the teacup and saucer down on the table.

"It's not that I don't think you can handle our lifestyle, Hermione," she began. "I just think that you're not fully prepared for what is expected of you."

"What is that, exactly?" Hermione asked. She was beyond frustrated. All she had heard from anyone was that there were all these expectations and she wasn't meeting them, but no one had bothered to inform her of exactly what they were.

"Well, to begin with, you must remember that absolutely everything you do reflects on the Malfoy family and it has since you put on that engagement ring. You cannot, as you did so carelessly two nights ago, be alone with any man who isn't your fiancé or married. By doing that you open yourself, and this family, up to scandal. Even if nothing is going on, people are going to talk," Narcissa explained. "And I think you understand what I mean by that."

"Yes, I do," Hermione agreed. This was insulting. She knew it wasn't Narcissa's intention, but Hermione couldn't help but feel like a child.

"Good," Narcissa gave Hermione a tight-lipped smile. "Well, keep that in mind. I know it's time for you to leave so I won't keep you any longer. But please, if you have any ideas for the wedding, don't hesitate to send me a letter. And I'll be in touch as well."

"Alright," Hermione said, getting to her feet. "Thank you for having me. I've had a really nice time," she added before she left the room.

"You're welcome," Narcissa said as warmly as she ever managed to sound.

Hermione headed up to Draco's room to make sure all of her things were packed. She found Mindy in the middle of trying to zip herself into Hermione's suitcase.

"Mindy wants to come with Miss to Hogwarts," Mindy said immediately. "Then Mindy can show Miss that she can trust Mindy."

"I do trust you, Mindy," Hermione said gently. "Besides, you belong to the Malfoys. Don't you think you should stay here?"

"Stay here?" Mindy pulled herself out of the suitcase and disappeared with a pop.

"I suppose you didn't hear," Draco said, leaning against the doorframe. Hermione turned around to look at him. "Mindy has been reassigned."

"Reassigned?" Hermione asked. Draco crossed the room to stand in front of her.

"Yes," he said. "She's going to be part of our household from now on."

"Our household?" Hermione suddenly felt faint. Hearing those words felt very strange to her. Heavy, almost.

"Yes," Draco said. "She's going to be in charge of your things."

"Oh no," Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't need a house-elf. Any house-elves."

"Hermione, please," Draco sighed. "You're just going to have to accept it. This is the way we live," he insisted. Hermione sighed. "It's time to go."

"Fine," Hermione said. She turned to her suitcase and finished zipping it up. Draco grabbed it out of her hand as she tried to carry it from the room and followed her down the stairs with it.

"Goodbye, Hermione," Lucius was standing in the foyer. "Please, come visit again soon."

"Thank you," Hermione said, letting him give her a hug. Draco followed her out to the car where he handed the suitcase to the driver. Hermione turned to kiss him goodbye.

"I'm coming with you," he said. "I thought you might like the company."

"Oh," Hermione said. She got into the car and waited for him to join her. Hearing him tell her that she was just going to have to live with the house-elves was really the end of her goodwill. She was sick and tired of living like a Malfoy, and though she was really in love with Draco she just wasn't sure she could marry him.


	8. Save the Date

Chapter Eight

The rest of Hermione's winter break went about as well as the first part of it had. Her father still wasn't speaking to her, and her mother only spoke to her until she remembered that Hermione was engaged. On top of everything, now Hermione doubted that she was making the right decision by getting married to Draco. If her visit to the Malfoys was any indication of what the rest of her life would be like then she wasn't interested in the least.

The day to return to Hogwarts couldn't come fast enough. Hermione's mother dropped her off at the train station and barely gave her a hug goodbye before getting back in the car. To make matters worse, Narcissa cornered Hermione the second she stepped onto Platform 9 ¾ and started demanding decisions about place settings. It was only just in time that Hermione managed to escape and find a moment's peace in the Head compartment.

"I've missed you," Draco said the second he stepped into the compartment. Hermione smiled faintly. She had missed him too, of course, but she was feeling so completely deflated she couldn't muster up the energy to be romantic. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and settled into the seat next to her.

"How was your Christmas? I didn't hear from you very often."

"It was alright," Hermione shrugged. "My parents still aren't happy with me."

"Oh," Draco said. "Maybe we should have introduced our parents," he mused, putting an arm around her. Hermione closed her eyes. She couldn't imagine anything worse.

"I don't think that would make anything better," she sighed.

"Oh, come on," Draco laughed. "My parents aren't that bad."

"It's not that," Hermione shook her head. "It's just that my parents are really upset about this. I think introducing them to your parents would have only made them angrier."

"But maybe if my parents could explain it," Draco suggested.

"Explain that You-Know-Who decided that you and I should get married and so they should be really happy?" Hermione demanded. "Gee, why don't I think that would have gone over well?"

"What is the matter with you?" Draco asked. "You're really out of line."

"Oh, yes, better discipline me, since that's your job and all," Hermione retorted. Draco's eyes grew wide, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he withdrew his arm and stared out the window.

No one spoke for the duration of the ride to Hogwarts. Draco didn't even look when Hermione changed into her school robes, he just kept his eyes focused on the scenery. When the train finally stopped he got to his feet and pulled their trunks down so they could be taken to the castle. Just as Hermione was about to leave the compartment, he spoke.

"I know you're having a hard time with this, Hermione, but marriage is all about compromise. You're going to have to learn to adapt if this is going to work," he said softly to the back of her head. Hermione didn't respond, but left him alone in the compartment with the two trunks.

* * *

"Hey, Hermione!" Ron's unmistakable voice came after her as she left the Great Hall the next morning. Hermione slowed her pace so that Ron and Harry could catch up with her.

"We missed you at dinner last night," Harry said. Hermione shrugged.

"Wasn't hungry, I guess," she said. "So how was your holiday?" Hermione asked brightly, hoping to change the subject. The trio rounded the corner and headed toward the potions classroom.

"It was alright, I guess," Ron said. "Same old sweater from Mum, as always."

"How was yours?" Harry demanded, not giving his answer first. Hermione took a deep breath. There wasn't enough time to explain everything that had happened over her break. Without having all the answers herself she didn't want to try to tell the boys about it. They would just worry.

"It was fine," she lied.

"How are the Malfoys?" Harry prompted, his voice flat. "Ginny mentioned you would be spending some time there over the break."

"Yes, I did visit. They're doing well, I suppose," Hermione shrugged. She shifted her books uncomfortably.

"Hermione, what did you do there?" Harry stopped walking and turned to face Hermione. "You were inside Lucius Malfoy's house for three days, you must have seen or heard something important."

"Yes, Harry, you're right," Hermione felt her chest tighten. "Lucius sat me down and discussed plainly all of his plans with You-Know-Who."

"Come on, Harry," Ron put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Back off a little."

"No," Harry protested, shaking Ron loose. "I want to know the truth."

"What truth?" Hermione asked, incredulous. These were her two best friends in the world and they wanted to treat her like a common criminal? "What are you expecting me to say?"

"Hermione," It was Ron's turn. "Hermione, we know that You-Know-Who is the one responsible for your engagement to Draco."

"Yes, and?" Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could see exactly what they were getting at but she wanted to hear one of them say it first.

"We want to know if," Ron paused and glanced nervously at Harry. "Are you a, um," he looked around the hall to see if anyone was nearby.

"Did you get the Dark Mark, Hermione?" Harry demanded. Hermione shook her head. This was too much.

"No, I didn't," she said bitterly. Harry took her by the shoulders and pushed her against the nearest wall.

"I want to see," he insisted. Hermione's jaw dropped. "Show me!" he shouted. Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes as she pulled up her shirt sleeve to prove to Harry that she hadn't gotten the Dark Mark. When he saw that her arm was bare, Harry released Hermione and stepped back.

"I'm sorry," he said. Hermione shook her head.

"I understand," she said. "You don't trust me."

"It's not like that," Harry said softly. Hermione wiped furiously at her eyes which were now running over.

"Hey!" Draco had come around the corner. "What's the matter?" he asked, looking from Hermione to Harry and then to Ron. "What are you doing to my fiancée?"

"It was a misunderstanding," Harry said.

"I'm sure it was, Potter," Draco spat, pulling out his wand. Harry held his hands up.

"I mean it," he said. Draco placed the tip of his wand under Harry's chin.

"I don't believe you," he said. Hermione rubbed her eyes again and grabbed Draco's arm.

"Draco, don't," she insisted. "It's not important. Let's just go to class," she pleaded. Draco stared at Harry for a few more seconds and then dropped his arm. He put his other arm around Hermione protectively and waited for Harry and Ron to start walking again.

"Are you alright?" he asked once they were out of earshot. Hermione nodded.

"Its fine now," she lied. Draco sighed.

"If you say so," he said, taking his arm back. "Let me have your books," he insisted. Hermione handed him the stack she was carrying and followed him reluctantly to Potions class.

Unfortunately for Hermione, her tearstains were still evident when they reached the classroom which generated a lot of whispers among their classmates. This only proved that Narcissa had been right about people talking which made Hermione really frustrated.

* * *

The rest of the day dragged on and on for Hermione. Plus it seemed that all the teachers had assigned them three times as much homework as usual in the hopes of squeezing in everything they needed to cover before the N.E.W.T.S. Though she had already completed her transfiguration homework for the night, Hermione found herself unable to concentrate on the rest of her work. There was just so much on her mind that she wanted to focus on instead of schoolwork.

Hermione sighed and turned her attention from her Potions homework to the wedding dress sketches that had arrived by owl post that morning. Knowing full well that her decision was expected that day, Hermione had put off looking at them until the absolute last minute. She was sick of wedding plans, sick of her fiancé's bad attitude, and sick of her so-called friends not trusting her. But her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she couldn't avoid them any longer.

She pulled open the white paper wrapping to find three thick, black leather folders inside. Each one was embossed with the designer's seal in gold. Hermione took a deep breath and opened the first folder.

It was long, white, and simple, just as she had requested. Strapless, fitted to the waist and then a full skirt with a short train. There were no beads, no pearls, no embellishments, nothing. It was just what she had asked for and she felt immediately deflated. Now she understood why the designer had been so annoyed with her request. It wasn't the right dress. Hermione absently stroked the enclosed swatch of fabric for a moment before she closed the folder and set it aside.

The next folder contained what Hermione had feared. It was the designer's vision of what Hermione should wear for her wedding day and it was absolutely horrific. The dress was mermaid style - strapless, form-fitting to the knees with an exaggerated flare at the bottom. It was ruched along both sides and had an enormous train that came not from the skirt but began at the top of the back and was made of tulle, like an extra veil. Worse than the train were the embellishments the designer had added. At one shoulder there were two folded satin fan-shaped poufs that if Hermione understood the sketch properly would stand straight up, taller than Hermione. To make matters worse, the designer had chosen three colors for the dress - white, black, and shocking pink. Hermione slammed the folder shut and put it underneath the first folder.

She was almost afraid to open the last folder, but knew she had to see it. Taking a deep breath, Hermione closed her eyes and opened the folder. Her fingers met with thick, silky swatches of satin and a soft tulle. Slowly opening her eyes, Hermione breathed in sharply. She felt her stomach muscles unclench. This was _the _dress.

Strapless, the same silhouette as the first dress – tight to the waist and then a full skirt, this dress had a longer train. It was white satin with ivory colored tulle draped from the waist to one shoulder and then from that side of the waist over the skirt leaving some white showing on the opposite side. Delicate beads were clustered at the waist over the tulle and at the shoulder. It wasn't simple, but it wasn't over the top. Hermione slowly let out her breath and was surprised to find tears spilling from her eyes. For the first time since Draco's proposal, this actually felt real.

She closed the folder and hugged it to her chest. At first she tried to wipe her eyes as the tears continued to pour down her cheeks but after a little while she gave up and just let the tears come. It felt good to cry.

Behind her, the door to Draco's bedroom creaked open and the folders containing the dress sketches vanished instantly. Hermione gasped and turned around to see Draco standing behind her. He was at her side in an instant.

"What is going on?" he asked, taking her into his arms

"My dress," Hermione could barely get the words out. "I found my dress."

"Your wedding dress?" he asked. Hermione nodded. "But why are you crying?"

"It's just so perfect," Hermione sobbed. Draco stroked her hair as she cried into his shoulder. She knew she owed him more of an explanation than she had given him, but she wasn't sure where to begin. It had been a while since she had felt so certain she was making the right choice that she wanted to hold onto that feeling for a few more minutes.

"Where is it?" Draco asked. Hermione looked up.

"The sketches were right here, but they disappeared when you came in the room. I don't know where they went," she said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"My mother really thought of everything," he said. "I'm sure she bewitched them so I wouldn't be able to see the dress before our wedding day."

"That's brilliant," Hermione said, her tears coming back. "Absolutely brilliant."

"Hermione, please," Draco said, pulling away from her. "Can we talk about what's going on?"

"Yes," Hermione agreed. She took a deep breath. "Just not right now," she said. Draco's brow furrowed. "I need some time to get my thoughts together."

"Well, how long will that take? I can wait," Draco offered. Hermione shook her head.

"I need a few days," she said.

"Things are that bad?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded. "Is this about Harry and Ron?"

"Partially," Hermione said. "But that's not everything."

"Is it something I've done?" Draco asked. Hermione shook her head.

"We can't talk about this, Draco, I just need some time to sort it all out," she said. He looked hurt.

"Well, you know where to find me," Draco said, getting off the couch. Hermione watched him walk away and then turned back to face the fireplace. The instant Draco's door clicked shut the dress sketches reappeared. Hermione smiled to herself, in spite of everything, and opened the folder to look at her dress again. Was it really worth it?

* * *

Hermione went down to breakfast the next morning with almost no appetite. Her stomach felt tight and heavy, a sensation that didn't exactly lessen when several owls appeared with her mail. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she collected all the envelopes.

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked quietly from the seat next to Hermione. Hermione forced herself to smile flatly.

"We should talk," she heard herself saying, though she had very much intended to assure Ginny that everything was just fine.

"I have a free period after breakfast," Ginny offered. Hermione nodded.

"Let me just take this stuff to my room, I'll meet you in the common room," She said, collecting her mail.

Across the Great Hall, Draco's eyes followed Hermione as she left the room. He closed his fist tighter around the tumbler in his hand and set it down on the table with a resounding whack. Several of his housemates turned to see what the noise was, but they quickly turned away when they made eye contact with Draco. From across the table, Blaise lifted his head casually.

"I'm losing her," Draco said, pushing the eggs around his plate with a fork. "I can feel it. She's pulling away from me and I have no idea why."

"Hmm," Blaise grunted. He observed the trail of syrup following Draco's fork. "Maybe you should have a talk with her."

"That's just it, she won't talk to me," Draco sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Well, it's not like she can call off the wedding," Blaise mused. Draco's eyes flashed. "I know that's not what you wanted, but maybe this will blow over once all of the wedding stuff is over with and you two can get back to being a disgustingly perfect couple again."

"Right," Draco tossed his fork down. Blaise sighed and reached an arm across the table to give his friend a comforting pat.

"You'll work it out, you always do," he said reassuringly as Daphne took the seat next to him.

"Trouble in paradise?" she cooed sweetly. Draco stared blankly at her as Blaise planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Good morning, princess," Blaise said. Daphne smiled widely.

"Did you and Hermione have a fight?" she asked, looking hopeful. Draco studied her face before giving his answer.

"Not exactly," he replied. Daphne's face fell. "Maybe that's a question I should be asking you," he said. Her eyes narrowed.

"I know that I shouldn't say anything to you, of all people, about this, but I've just about had it up to here with Miss Muggle," Daphne exploded. "She spends all her time judging us for our beliefs but as soon as she gets her chance she's right in there ruining everything for people who have looked forward to this their entire lives," she spat. Draco glanced at Blaise for a translation, but Daphne was too fast.

"She stole my wedding date," Daphne hissed. A gasp went up from some of the younger Slytherin girls. Draco looked around, aware of his surroundings for the first time all morning, only to discover that most everyone was staring at them.

"I see," Draco said calmly. He got to his feet. "I'm sure it'll be alright. Blaise," he nodded to his friend before leaving the table. Daphne's eyes widened as he walked away and Draco felt slightly guilty that he was leaving Blaise alone with her, but at least he had a better idea of why Hermione was so stressed out.

Meanwhile in her bedroom, Hermione was quickly sorting through the stack of mail she had received that morning. Most everything was from Narcissa and had to do with the wedding plans. A small grey envelope caught Hermione's eye though, and she picked it up. The paper felt rough in her hands, a contrast to the beautiful wedding stationary she had been holding recently. There was no return address, but the writing looked familiar enough. Hermione took a deep breath and opened the envelope.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I hope you can forgive me for the way I acted the past few weeks. Your father and I are struggling with the fact that you are almost an adult now. This engagement came as quite a shock to us, though it obviously shouldn't have. We had a lovely visit from Draco's parents last night and now that we've spoken I feel much better about the whole thing. Please accept my apologies for the way I reacted to your news. _

_Draco's mother was kind enough to fill me in on the details of the wedding you've planned so far. I'm sorry I've already missed out on so much, but I look forward to seeing your dress. Narcissa assures me that Christophe is the best. _

_Your father wants to know what business Draco's father is in. He didn't say, and we forgot to ask, but they've graciously offered to pay for everything so now we're curious. Is there some sort of magical stock market? _

_See you at Easter,_

_Love Mom_

Hermione smiled in spite of herself as she refolded the letter. She was mad at Narcissa for interfering with her parents, but glad that her mother was finally acting like herself again. That was at least one less thing to worry about. She tossed the envelope on her desk with the rest of her mail and hurried up to Gryffindor Tower.

Ginny was waiting impatiently in the common room when Hermione arrived. She wasted no time dragging Hermione into her bedroom which was blissfully empty.

"Okay, spill," Ginny demanded. "Harry is convinced you've joined the Death Eaters and I've heard at least twenty rumors that say you're pregnant. So which one is it?"

"I'm pregnant?" Hermione repeated Ginny's words, confused. Ginny's jaw dropped. "No, I mean, neither one is true," Hermione clarified.

"I knew it," Ginny looked relieved. "So what's going on? I heard you were crying in Potions class yesterday, and then I heard you stole Daphne's wedding date because you were pregnant and needed to have the wedding as soon as school was out. It did sound a little bit like it could be true."

"Ginny, please," Hermione felt tears welling up. "I was crying in Potions because Harry accosted me and demanded to see my arms so he could be sure I haven't got the Dark Mark. He was a little bit too rough. And I didn't steal anyone's wedding date, Daphne's wedding is on the 30th, mine is the 24th."

"It is now," Ginny said as though it should have been obvious. "Daphne's was on the 24th but she had to move it because you scheduled your wedding for the same day."

"But Narcissa told Daphne's mother she got a save the date card from her," Hermione remembered. Ginny sighed and crossed the room to one of her roommate's desks. She pulled two black envelopes from the drawer and handed them to Hermione.

"That is Daphne's save the date card," Ginny said as Hermione pulled a red card from the first envelope. Hermione studied the information on the card. "The twenty-fourth day of June," Ginny said, as though quoting from memory. Hermione's jaw dropped. "Look at the other one," Ginny offered. Hermione found a green card inside the other envelope and her heart sank immediately.

"I can't look," she said, her mouth suddenly dry. She sat down hard on Ginny's bed while Ginny put the cards away.

"At least you picked a different font," Ginny said. Hermione stared at her. "Well, these things matter to some people."

"Ginny, don't you get it?" Hermione demanded. "I haven't picked anything but my dress."

"What?" Ginny's eyes widened and she sank to the bed next to Hermione.

"Things were great when I got to Draco's, because my parents had been so unbearable about the whole thing," Hermione said. "But then suddenly I couldn't do anything right. Narcissa found fault with everything I did. She even had clothes picked out for me because she didn't think any of mine were good enough," she explained. Hermione got to her feet and began pacing. "Why would she intentionally schedule my wedding for the same day as Daphne's? And why would Daphne reschedule? Couldn't she have just asked me to change my plans?"

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny sighed, looking up at her friend miserably. Hermione sat down again.

"I don't know if I can do this, Ginny," Hermione confessed, the tears spilling over at last. "I love him, I do, but I'm not cut out for this lifestyle. We went to that tea and no one even looked at me. It was like I didn't exist. And I have my very own house-elf. It's horrible. I'm beginning to think all the love in the world isn't enough to make this marriage work."

"Your mother wasn't happy for you?" Ginny asked. Hermione took a deep breath.

"She wasn't until Narcissa and Lucius went to visit. I can't even be trusted to handle my own parents!" Hermione lapsed into a fresh round of tears. Ginny gave her a hug.

"I'm sure it will get easier," Ginny said at last. Hermione wiped furiously at her cheeks.

"I'm not so sure," Hermione shook her head sadly.

"Well what does Draco think?" Ginny asked. Hermione turned away. "Hermione, have you talked to him about this?"

"Not exactly," Hermione admitted. "I just, can't right now. I have to figure out if I'm going to go through with it first." Ginny gasped.

"You're seriously thinking of calling it off?" her face was pale. Hermione took another deep breath.

"I know its bad, but better to call it off now before I get trapped in a marriage that doesn't work," Hermione reasoned. Ginny looked horrified.

"You can't break your engagement," she whispered finally. "Hermione, you'll be ostracized. Not to mention what You-Know-Who might do to you."

"I might as well be ostracized the way everyone treats me now," Hermione said glumly. Ginny shook her head violently.

"This is nothing," Ginny protested. "People you don't even know will hate you if you break your engagement. We take it very seriously, it's not something you can go into lightly. And even if that were okay, what about You-Know-Who? He would probably kill you."

"I don't know," Hermione sighed, thinking of his offer to let her join his army. Ginny studied her face.

"Do you think you'll have to take the Dark Mark?" she asked finally. Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know if that's a requirement for marrying Draco or not," she said. "But will I have a choice? If I can't break my engagement then I have to marry him. And If I have to get the Dark Mark to marry him…"

"Oh, Hermione!" Ginny burst into tears and pulled her friend into another hug. "It can't come to that, it just can't."

"I guess I'll find out," Hermione said softly. She stood up. "I should get ready for class."

* * *

"Miss Granger, may I speak to you privately?" Professor McGonagall asked as Hermione and Draco were leaving Transfiguration later that afternoon. Draco gave Hermione a nod and left the room.

"Yes, Professor?" Hermione asked. Professor McGonagall took her glasses off and looked sharply at Hermione.

"I won't pretend I approve of your relationship with Draco Malfoy, Miss Granger, but I understand that you have made your decision and it is out of my hands," Professor McGonagall began. "However, I want you to know that if you decide yours is the wrong decision, you will always have protection from the Order. We can put you somewhere safe, where you'll be out of His reach."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said quietly, wondering if Ginny had already spoken to the old woman.

"If I ask you a question, will you be honest with me?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Of course," Hermione replied.

"Have you given any thought to becoming a DeathEater?" Professor McGonagall's question caught Hermione off guard.

"Not really," she said after a moment. Professor McGonagall's face fell. "What is it, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"I was hoping you would tell me you'd rather die than be one of His followers," she responded. "Because I don't think that's something you should have to give any thought to. I thought for you the answer would be obvious, but I can see now that I may have been wrong about you, Hermione Granger."


End file.
